MULCH

Measure your bed length and width in feet — for irregular beds, switch to L-shape mode and enter the cutout, or break a curving bed into rectangles, run each separately, and add the cubic yards. Set the depth in inches: 2–3 inches is the standard for mulched shrub beds, 3 inches around trees, and 1 inch as a refresh layer over existing mulch.

The result is cubic yards (what landscape suppliers and bulk yards sell by) plus the equivalent in standard 2-cubic-foot bags from Home Depot or Lowe's. One cubic yard equals 13.5 bags, so the breakeven where bulk delivery beats bagged is roughly 14–15 bags' worth — typically a 3-yard mulch bed at 3-inch depth.

For a 20 × 5 ft bed at 3 inches deep:

Volume = 20 × 5 × (3 ÷ 12) = 25 ft³. In cubic yards: 25 ÷ 27 = 0.93 yd³.

In bags: 25 ft³ ÷ 2 ft³/bag = 13 bags of standard mulch.

At ~$4 per bag, 13 bags is $52. A bulk yard charges $30–$45 per cubic yard delivered (in lots of 2+ yards usually). For under one yard, bags win on price and convenience. For 2+ yards, bulk wins on price by 30–50% but you need a place to dump the pile and a wheelbarrow + a free Saturday.

For larger beds: a 30 × 10 ft bed at 3 inches = 2.78 yd³ — bulk is clearly cheaper, plus you avoid hauling and disposing of 38 plastic bags.

Going too deep. Mulch over 4 inches starves roots of oxygen and creates "mulch volcano" rot around tree trunks. Keep it 2–3 inches and pull it back from the trunk by an inch or two.

Forgetting to refresh, not replace. Existing mulch breaks down over the season and just needs a 1-inch top-up — not a full 3-inch reapplication. Doing the full depth every spring quickly buries your plant crowns.

Confusing volumes. A "cubic yard" (27 ft³) is very different from a "square yard" (9 ft²) and from "a yard" (3 ft). Bulk suppliers sell by the cubic yard. The calculator handles the unit conversion.

Buying dyed mulch where it touches food gardens or pets eat the soil. Most dyes are vegetable-based and safe, but some cheaper imports use lead-based pigments. Stick to natural cedar or hardwood mulch in vegetable beds.

1 cubic yard of mulch covers 108 ft² at 3 inches deep, or 162 ft² at 2 inches.

1 cubic yard = 13.5 standard 2-cubic-foot bags. Bulk usually wins past 2 yards.

3-inch depth is the residential standard for ornamental beds. Trees: 2–3 inches in a wide ring (drip line is ideal), pulled away from the trunk.

Pine straw goes about 6 inches deep because it compacts to half that within weeks.

A pickup truck bed (6 ft) holds 1.5–2 cubic yards if heaped. Most bulk yards will load you for free if you have a tarp.