01
Measure the beds, not the yard
Length times width for each bed, added together. Curved beds: pace the long way and the wide way and multiply - close enough at this scale.
Mulch · April 2026 · 4 min read
How Much Mulch Do I Need? A Simple Way to Figure It Out
One cubic yard covers about 100 square feet at three inches deep. The rest is measuring.
Mulch is the cheapest curb appeal there is, and one of the few things that's genuinely good for the plants at the same time. It's also easy to overbuy or underbuy.
Here's the math and the judgment calls behind it.
02
Three inches is the target depth
Two inches lets weeds through. Four or more starts holding too much water against the crowns. Three is the sweet spot for New England beds.
03
One yard covers about 100 square feet
At three inches deep. So 600 square feet of beds needs roughly six yards. Round up - you'd rather have a wheelbarrow left over.
04
Some years you just need a refresh
If last year's mulch is still two inches deep, we edge, weed and top-dress an inch instead of burying the beds again. It costs you less.
05
Never volcano the trees
Mulch piled against a trunk rots bark and invites pests. It should be pulled back a few inches, flat, like a donut.
We quote mulch by the cubic yard with the weeding and edging included, so the number you get is the number you pay.
