CLASSROOM 01 · v0.2

Build Living Soil in a Raised Bed

Build the root environment—not a recipe.

This planner asks only questions that can change the recommendation. “I don’t know” is a valid answer whenever guessing would create bad data.

Build My Starting Plan

1. What type of growing system is it?

Open-bottom raised bed Closed-bottom or elevated planter

2. Is this new or already growing?

New / being built Existing / previously used

Safety check

Any reason to suspect contamination in the soil below?

No Maybe / I’m not sure Yes

What best describes the soil underneath?

Loamy / ordinary garden soil Mostly sandy / drains very quickly Heavy clay Hard or compacted Stays wet / drains poorly I don’t know

What happens after heavy rain or thorough watering?

Drains very quickly Drains normally Water remains a long time I haven’t observed it / I don’t know

What brought you here today?

Everything is doing well — maintain it I want to know what to add this season Plants or bed are not performing well

What stage is the crop in?

Seedling / transplant establishment Vegetative growth Flowering / fruiting Harvest / late season I don't know / not applicable

Do you have a recent soil test?

Yes No I’m not sure

What do the roots look like?

Healthy/light-colored and well distributed Shallow or restricted Dark, soft or damaged Very few roots I haven’t checked / I don’t know

TerraEvidence — Raised Bed Starting Plan

Evidence: · Applicability: · Recommendation confidence:

DO FIRST

MEASURE / OBSERVE

WHY THIS ANSWER?

On iPhone, Print can also be saved as a PDF from the iOS print/share screen.

Bed Volume Calculator

Length (ft)Width (ft)Fill depth (in)Optional compost planning assumption (%)

Area sq ft

Volume cu ft cu yd

Planning compost cu ft

Important: volume is mathematics. The compost percentage is an editable planning assumption, not a universal optimum.