The first step to calculate the mulch needed is figuring out the how many square feet the potential bed covers. Simply multiply the length by the width if the bed is rectangular or square. For a round bed, multiply the square of the radius (distance from the center of the bed to its edge in a straight line) by 3.14. For a triangular area, multiply the height of the triangle by half the base length. See our square foot calculators below to get the square footage of your bed.
Next, the area in square feet should be multiplied by the desired depth in inches of mulch material to be utilized. To calculate mulch in yards, it is essential to note that one cubic yard of material will cover an area of 324 square feet at a depth of an inch.
To determine the total amount of mulch needed, the formula is: Square footage x desired depth (in inches)/ 324. A landscape mulch calculator like the one above can help with your calculations.
What Does One Cubic Yard Cover?
- 324 sq feet @ 1″ deep
- 162 sq feet @ 2″ deep
- 108 sq feet @ 3″ deep
- 81 sq feet @ 4″ deep
2″ to 4″ recommended annually