Mulch Calculator
Bags & cubic yards of mulch for your beds
Refreshing your beds? Enter the bed size and depth to find the number of 2 ft³ bags, or the cubic yards to order in bulk.
How much mulch do I need?
2–3 inches is the sweet spot — deep enough to suppress weeds and hold moisture, shallow enough not to smother roots. The math is area × depth, and this calculator converts it to both bags and cubic yards.
Mulch: bags vs. bulk
Bagged mulch comes in 2 ft³ bags; bulk is sold by the cubic yard (≈13.5 bags to a yard). Bulk usually wins on price past about 10–12 bags, and a delivered yard means far less plastic to haul and split open. One cubic yard covers roughly 160 ft² at 2 inches deep.
Wood, bark or dyed?
Shredded hardwood knits together and stays put on slopes; bark nuggets last longer but float away in heavy rain; dyed mulches hold their color longest. Refresh a thin top layer each year rather than piling it on — "mulch volcanoes" mounded against trunks invite rot and pests. Keep mulch a few inches back from stems and siding.
Mulch Calculator: frequently asked questions
How many bags of mulch in a cubic yard?
About 13.5 standard 2-cubic-foot bags (27 ÷ 2).
How deep should mulch be?
2–3 inches. Over 4 inches can suffocate roots and trap too much moisture.
Should I remove old mulch first?
No need to strip it every year — just rake to loosen any matted layer and top up to 2–3 inches total. Replace it fully only if it's compacted, moldy or sour-smelling.