Mulch Calculator

Two to three inches of mulch keeps weeds down and moisture in. More is not better: university extension services warn that layers deeper than about 4 inches can starve roots of air and water. If old mulch is still there, count it. Refreshing a bed usually takes 1 to 2 inches, not a full 3.

Measure every bed (the calculator adds them up) and subtract anything you are not covering, like a patio corner or the ring around a tree trunk, where mulch should not touch the bark. For a whole-yard spring cleanup with compost and edging, try the garden bed refresh planner.

Measure the length and width in feet, multiply for square feet, then decide the depth in inches. For odd shapes, split the area into rectangles, circles, and triangles and add them up; the calculator lets you add as many areas as you need and subtract cut-outs like a tree ring or an air-conditioner pad.

No tape measure? Open the Draw on satellite map tab, find your address, and trace the outline. Or use Pace it off: count steps along each side. Measure depth in a few spots, because ground is rarely flat.

Want the area on its own first? The lawn size calculator measures any part of your yard and carries it into the other calculators.

One cubic yard covers about 108 sq ft at 3 in deep, or 162 sq ft at 2 in.

A cubic yard of hardwood mulch weighs 400 to 800 lb (about 0.3 tons typical). Moisture is the big swing: the same pile weighs more after rain.

See every material side by side on the material weights chart.

It takes 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft to make one cubic yard, and each bag weighs about 40 lb. Bags cost more per yard but skip the delivery fee and the minimum order. Bulk is cheaper per yard once the delivery fee is spread over enough material.

With example prices of $4 a bag, $40 a yard in bulk, and $75 delivery, bulk starts winning at about 5.4 cubic yards. These are examples, not your local prices: type your own into the Order Ticket above and it recalculates the break-even.

Do not forget the labor. One cubic yard in bags means lifting 14 bags, about 600 lb in total, twice: into the cart and out of the car.

One cubic yard of hardwood mulch weighs about 600 lb. A full-size half-ton pickup typically carries 1,500 to 2,300 lb, and a midsize pickup 1,100 to 1,700 lb. Your exact number is on the Tire and Loading Information sticker on the driver's door jamb.

That means bed space runs out first. A 6.5 ft bed holds about 2.1 cubic yards level full, which weighs about 1,260 lb, within most half-ton payloads. Heaping it higher is how loads end up on the highway, so tarp it.

The Haul Check in the calculator does this math for your truck and your load, and tells you how many trips it takes.

• Mulch deeper than about 4 inches can starve roots of air and water, especially in heavy soil. (University of Florida IFAS Extension)
• Keep mulch a few inches off tree trunks. "Volcano" mounds trap moisture against the bark. (University of Florida IFAS Extension)
• On heavy clay, 2 to 3 inches is plenty. Well drained sites can take 3 to 4. (Iowa State University Extension)

• Piling fresh mulch on top of 3 inches of old mulch. Rake the old layer loose and add only enough to reach 3 inches total.
• Building mulch volcanoes against tree trunks. Keep it a few inches back.
• Counting bags by the square foot printed on the front. That number assumes a depth; check it.
• Ordering bulk without asking about the minimum. Many yards have a 2 or 3 yard delivery minimum.