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HaulOnce

Garden Bed Refresh Planner

Mulch, compost, and edging for every bed in the yard, as one shopping list.

Quick answer

Refreshing beds usually takes 1 to 2 inches of new mulch on top of what is left. One cubic yard covers about 162 sq ft at 2 inches.

Measure

Units
Area 1
80 sq ft

Project details

2 in to refresh, 3 in for a new bed

1 to 2 in, worked into the soil. 0 to skip.

Adds local climate notes and goes into your copied order.

0.52 cu yd of mulch. or 7 bags, for 80 sq ft of beds

Your project

0.52 cu yd of mulch

or 7 bags, for 80 sq ft of beds

Measured: 80 sq ft, 48 ft of edge

HaulOnce order ticket

Garden bed refresh

Ticket no.

366981

  1. 01Mulch0.52 cu yd

    2 in deep over 80 sq ft

    Order: 1 cu yd bulk or 7 bags of 2 cu ft. Weighs 210 lb to 410 lb.

    Includes waste and uneven ground (+5%).

Before you start

  • Pull weeds and rake old mulch loose before adding new. Total depth (old plus new) should stay under about 4 in.
  • Keep mulch a few inches away from stems and tree trunks.

Estimate from haulonce.com. Weights vary with moisture and supplier. Prices are examples unless you entered your own.

Haul Check

Typical 1,500 to 2,300 lb. We use the low end until you enter yours.

Check the Tire and Loading Information sticker on your driver's door jamb for your exact payload.

Payload310 lb of 1,500 lb (21%)
Bed volume (level full)0.52 of 2.11 cu yd (25%)

Your bed fills up before you reach payload. Hardwood mulch is light for its size.

One trip, with room to spare.

Using the low end of the typical payload range. Enter your own for an exact answer.

What pros know

  • Mulch deeper than about 4 inches can starve roots of air and water, especially in heavy soil. Source
0.5 cu yd
Drawn to scale: your pile is about 2.1 ft tall and 5 ft across, next to a full-size pickup and a 5 ft 9 in person. Shown: mulch.

Ready to text or email your supplier:

“I need 1 cubic yard of shredded hardwood mulch delivered.”

Add your ZIP code above to include it.

0.52 cu yd of mulchSee plan

Plan the whole yard at once

Most yards have several beds, and buying mulch for each one separately means more trips and more bags. Measure every bed here (draw them on the satellite map or type them in), subtract tree rings and patios, and you get one total for mulch, optional compost, and edging along the perimeter.

How much mulch to add

Total mulch depth should stay around 2 to 3 inches, and under about 4. If last year's mulch is still there, rake it loose and add just enough to reach that depth, usually 1 to 2 inches.

Common mistakes

  • Adding 3 inches on top of 3 inches of old mulch.
  • Mulching against stems and trunks.
  • Forgetting to subtract patios, paths, and tree trunks.

Questions people ask

How much mulch do I need to refresh my beds?

Usually 1 to 2 inches of new mulch over the old layer. Measure your beds and set the depth to 2 inches here for a typical refresh.

Should I add compost before mulching?

If your soil is poor, working in 1 to 2 inches of compost first improves it. Then mulch on top.

How much edging do I need?

About the perimeter of your beds plus 5 percent for overlaps and curves. The planner works it out from your measurements.

How do I measure curved beds?

Trace them on the satellite map, or break them into circles, rectangles, and triangles and add them up.

When is the best time to refresh mulch?

Late spring, after the soil warms, is most common. A fall top-up helps insulate roots in cold regions.

Sources

Last reviewed: . How we calculate

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