Knowledgebase
Organic garden soil #927266
Asked April 01, 2026, 12:36 PM EDT
Benton County Oregon
Expert Response
Here is a link to the Corvallis Garden Resource guide which is published annually by the sustainability coalition of Corvallis: https://sustainablecorvallis.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2026_Garden_Guide_web_FINAL.pdf
Page 7 includes a list of local nursery's and page 9 list bulk soil companies. Note that under bulk soil The Bark Place is now called Central Bark (it's website is now: https://www.centralbarksales.com/products)
Here is a publication about how to use compost in your garden and landscape: It includes questions you should ask before purchasing bulk compost: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9308-how-use-compost-gardens-landscapes?reference=catalog
Ok. now here comes the math:
You gave: 5 ft wide × 65 ft long berm/backfill against a 24-inch (2 ft) wall.
The missing detail is the shape of the berm cross‑section:
Option A — It’s basically a flat-topped fill to the wall height (rectangular prism)
If the whole 5-ft width is filled to about 2 ft deep:
- Volume = 5 ft × 65 ft × 2 ft = 650 cubic feet
- 650 ft³ ÷ 27 = 24.1 cubic yards (yd³)
If it’s a triangular “berm” profile:
- Cross-section area = ½ × 5 ft × 2 ft = 5 sq ft
- Volume = 5 sq ft × 65 ft = 325 cubic feet
- 325 ft³ ÷ 27 = 12.0 cubic yards
- A full-size pickup holds about 2.5 yd³
- A dump truck often holds 10–14 yd³ [3]
- ~12 yd³ (about 5 pickup loads) if it’s a wedge, or
- ~24 yd³ (about 10 pickup loads, or ~2 dump-truck loads) if it’s a full 2-ft depth across. [3]
A couple of planting notes for fruit trees & dogwoods in that berm
- For fruit trees, OSU Extension cautions not to create a “bathtub” of very different soil in the planting hole. Use mostly native soil, with only modest compost mixed in, so roots don’t stay confined to the amended pocket.
- If your native soil is shallow/compacted and you’re effectively creating a raised planting area, OSU notes dwarf fruit trees generally do best with adequate total soil depth, and raised beds/berms can help—often needing about 2 ft of raised depth on top of existing soil (plus loosening/adding organic matter over time).
- Dogwoods prefer organic soil conditions and benefit from a 2–3 inch organic mulch layer (kept off the trunk).
Happy Gardening!