How to Calculate Weight of Soil

Spray-paint a square box on the surface of the soil, 1 foot on a side.

Clear all of the vegetation from inside the area you spray-painted.

Remove soil inside the box down to a depth of 1 foot. The volume of soil removed will be equal to 1 cubic foot.

Place all of the soil removed in a pre-weighed bucket.

Weigh the bucket with the soil in it, and subtract the weight of the bucket to get the soil weight.

Multiply the weight of the soil by the volume of soil whose weight you're calculating. For example, if you would like to know the weight of the soil in your 5-foot-by-10-foot garden to a depth of 3 feet, multiply 5 times 10 times 3 times the weight of 1 cubic foot of soil. If your pre-measured soil weighs 55 lbs., for example, the soil in your garden weighs 8,250 lbs. to a depth of 3 feet.