How much mulch for 300 square feet

Use our mulch calculator to answer the question 'how much mulch do I need?' In calculating how much mulch for an irregularly shaped bed you can use 2 rectangles to approximate the amount of mulch you will need. You need to do a separate calculation for each rectangle. (See examples below.)

The Mulch Calculator Instructions

Note: Minimum order is 3 cubic yards. It is recommended to use 2″ to 4″ in depth.

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

One Cubic Yard Of Mulch Measures:

• 3ft x 3ft x 3ft pile
• 13.5 bags of 2 cu. ft. bagged mulch
• 18 bags of 1.5 cu. ft. bagged mulch

How To Use Our Mulch Calculator To Determine How Much To Order

Almost all areas to be mulched around your property can be seen as either a rectangular shape or a circular shape. Here are some examples of how to determine how much mulch you will need for common yet different shaped beds.

Here are some examples of differently shaped planting beds. Uniquely shaped beds can use one or a multiple of simple rectangles or circles to determine how much mulch is needed. Just enter 3 measurements for each rectangle or 2 measurements for each circle into our Mulch Calculator.​

Example #1

Irregular shape planting bed using 1 rectangle.

In the mulch calculator for rectangular shapes enter Length and Width in Feet and the Depth of mulch in Inches. (Recommended depth is 2 to 4 inches).

Here is an example of how you would fill out the calculator for the irregular shape #1. The calculator shows you would need approximately 1 cubic yard of mulch for a planting bed that is 25 ft by 4 ft and has 3 inches of depth.​

Example #2

Irregular shape planting bed using 2 rectangles.

In calculating how much mulch for an irregularly shaped bed you can use 2 rectangles to approximate the amount of mulch you will need. You need to do a separate calculation for each rectangle. Enter the Length and Width in Feet and the Depth of mulch in Inches. (Recommended depth is 3 to 4 inches).

Total Cubic Yards of Mulch for a planting bed of this shape and size would be 0.42 + 0.61 = 1.03 Cubic Yards of mulch with 3 inches of depth.

How much will you need?

Use this calculator to figure out how much product you need to complete your project

Type

Bag Size

Description:

Length:

ft

Width:

ft

Depth:

in

(3 in. recommended)

Please note: calculations are estimates and can only be made using whole numbers.

Regardless of which type of mulch you prefer for your garden or landscaping, you’ll need to do some calculating to determine how much to purchase.

Guess wrong, and you’ll either come up short or end up with a surplus. Here’s how to do the math to make sure you get the amount right.

Calculating the Mulch Needs of a Rectangular Garden

What size is your garden bed? To determine how many cubic feet of mulch you need, we must start with calculating the square footage of the area you wish to cover.

For square or rectangular beds, this calculation begins with measuring the length and the width of the bed, in feet. Multiply these two numbers to determine the area, or the square footage of your garden bed. Here’s an example:

Garden Length = 20 feet
Garden Width = 15 feet
Square footage = 20 × 15 = 300 square feet

Next, you need to decide how deep you want to layer the mulch. Two or three inches is typically an effective depth for most vegetable gardens or flower beds.

Now take the square footage of your bed and multiply by your desired depth. Using the example above and assuming a 3-inch depth (0.25 feet), the total amount of mulch needed would be 300*0.25 = 75 cubic feet.

Calculating the Mulch Needs of a Round Garden Bed

But what if you have a round garden bed?

To find the area, you’ll need to measure the diameter, or the number of feet across. Divide this in half to get the radius of your bed. Now, take the radius and square it, or multiply it by itself. Then, multiply this figure by pi, or 3.14, to calculate the square footage. Here’s an example:

Garden diameter = 14 feet
Garden radius = 14 ÷ 2 = 7 feet
Square the radius = 7 x 7 = 49 feet
Square footage = 49 × 3.14 = 153.86

As with a rectangular or square garden, you need to decide on a mulch depth and multiply by your square footage. So, if we assume a 3-inch depth (0.25 feet), the total amount needed for our example would be 38.5 cubic feet.

Take the Size of Your Garden and Figure How Much Mulch You Need

The last step is to convert your desired square footage of mulch into cubic yards, as The Dirt Bag sells mulch by the cubic yard.

To make the conversion, divide your total by 27, as one cubic yard of mulch is 27 cubic feet. Then, round up to the nearest whole number to calculate the number of bags of mulch you need to cover your soil.

So, here’s the math for our rectangular garden example:

75 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 2.78 cubic yards

Rounding up, a total of three bags of mulch would be needed to cover a three-inch depth.

As for the round garden example:

38.5 cubic feet ÷ 27 = 1.42 cubic yards

In this case, two bags of mulch would provide ample coverage.

Now, if you’re not too keen on math, don’t worry. You can always use the handy-dandy coverage calculator on The Dirt Bag website. We offer bagged mulch as well as bulk mulch products, all available for delivery throughout Northern Utah. For every product we offer, including garden soil, topsoil, compost, play sand and landscape rock, simply look to the top right corner of the screen and click on the yellow “How much do I need” calculator button.

The Dirt Bag, located in West Jordan, Utah, makes it easy for you to order all the products you need for your garden and landscaping needs. Give us a call or visit us online today to order your Utah mulch delivery.

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