How to measure your beds
Walk each bed with a tape measure and record length and width in feet. Beds are rarely perfect rectangles, for curved or kidney-shaped beds, measure the longest length and the widest width, then multiply by 0.8 to approximate the true area. For a circular bed, use 3.14 × radius × radius.
Add up all your beds before ordering. The most common mistake in mulching is ordering per bed and paying three delivery fees, one combined bulk order is almost always cheaper. Depth is the number people guess at: 3 inches is the standard for a fresh bed, 2 inches for an annual top-up.
Bulk vs. bags
Bulk mulch from a landscape supplier typically costs $25–$55 per cubic yard plus a $40–$80 delivery fee, and it beats bagged mulch on price for anything over 2–3 yards. A cubic yard covers about 100 square feet at 3 inches deep, a useful rule of thumb when you're standing in the yard guessing.
Bags win for small jobs (under a yard), for beds you can't reach with a truck or wheelbarrow, and when you want a specific dyed or specialty product. Bagged mulch is also cleaner to transport in a car. The break-even is usually around 1.5–2 yards: below that, delivery fees eat the bulk savings.
Material tips
- Depth discipline: 2–3 inches for most beds, 4 inches maximum. Deeper mulch sheds water, starves roots of oxygen, and invites voles.
- Keep it off trunks. The "mulch volcano" around trees causes bark rot and girdling roots. Pull mulch 3–6 inches back from trunks and stems.
- Shredded hardwood knits together and stays put on slopes; bark nuggets look tidy but float away in heavy rain.
- Dyed mulches hold color about a year. Natural mulches fade faster but improve soil as they break down.
- Weed barrier first? Landscape fabric under mulch helps in rock beds but is usually counterproductive under organic mulch, it blocks the decomposition that feeds your soil.
- Refresh annually. Organic mulch decomposes roughly an inch per year. A spring top-up of 1–2 inches keeps beds at full depth.
What affects mulch cost
Bulk hardwood mulch runs $25–$55/yard; premium dyed, cedar, or pine bark products run $45–$75/yard. Delivery is typically $40–$80 within the supplier's radius. Bagged mulch at big-box stores runs $3–$6 per 2-cu-ft bag, $80–$160 per equivalent yard, so the convenience premium is real.
Professional mulching (labor + material) usually runs $70–$120 per cubic yard installed, including bed edging and cleanup. If your beds need redefining or weed removal first, expect that quoted separately.
Common mulching mistakes to avoid
- Volcano mulching trees. Piling mulch against the trunk rots bark and invites disease, pull it back 3–4" from trunks and stems, keeping the root flare visible.
- Going too deep. More than 4" of mulch suffocates roots and sheds water instead of absorbing it. Two to three inches, refreshed yearly, beats one deep dump.
- Fresh chips against the house. Fresh wood mulch near siding can harbor termites and carpenter ants, keep a 6" mulch-free zone at the foundation, or use stone there.
Mulch FAQs
How do I calculate how much mulch I need?
Multiply length × width × depth (all in feet), divide by 27 for cubic yards. A 10×10 bed at 3 inches needs about 0.93 yards, order 1 yard.
How deep should mulch be?
2–3 inches for most beds, up to 4 inches for weed suppression. Never pile mulch against tree trunks or plant stems.
How many bags are in a cubic yard?
Fourteen 2-cu-ft bags, or nine 3-cu-ft bags, make one cubic yard.
Is bulk mulch cheaper than bags?
Usually 30–50% cheaper per yard above 2–3 yards, after delivery fees. Bags win for small beds and hard-to-reach areas.
When is the best time to mulch?
Spring, after the soil warms but before summer heat, typically April–May in most regions. A light fall top-up also works.