Beds, borders & tree rings
Sketch your beds as simple shapes, pick a depth and get the volume, the bags to buy and a bulk order, in feet and inches or metres.
Mulch for 175 sq ft of beds, 3 in deep.
Mulch to orderSchedule
175 sq ft of beds, 3 in deep.
| # | Shape | Size | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rectangle | 24 ft × 5 ft | 120 sq ft |
| 2 | Ring × 2 | 6 ft across, 1 ft clear centre | 55 sq ft |
| Net area | 175 sq ft | ||
| Bag size | Bags | One bag covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 cu ft | 30 | 6 sq ft |
| 2 cu ft | 22 | 8 sq ft |
| 3 cu ft | 15 | 12 sq ft |
Most guides land between 2 and 4 inches. The RHS asks for at least 5 cm (2 in) of organic mulch and ideally 7.5 cm (3 in). Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center keeps fine mulches to 2–3 inches and lets coarse ones go to 4. The Morton Arboretum suggests 3–4 inches of medium to coarse material under trees and only a couple of inches on perennial beds. Keep mulch off trunks and stems: Clemson says 2–3 inches from woody stems, Iowa State Extension at least 6 inches from tree trunks.
A 24 × 5 ft border is 120 sq ft. Two tree rings 6 ft across with a 1 ft bare centre add 2 × 27.5 = 55 sq ft, so 175 sq ft in all. At 3 in (a quarter of a foot) that is 43.7 cu ft, or 1.62 cu yd: 22 bags of 2 cu ft, or 2 cu yd in bulk.
The stone for the path, the soil under the bed and the lawn beside it.
Cubic yards, m³ and tons or tonnes for paths, drives and bases, by stone type, layer by layer.
Soil for new beds, a new lawn, levelling hollows or top-dressing, with an allowance for settling.
Seed by grass type for a new lawn or overseeding, and fertiliser from the N-P-K on the bag.
Rolls, slabs and pallets for a new lawn, by piece size, with a waste allowance.
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Try WebTraceCheckA cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so it fills 13.5 bags of 2 cu ft or 9 bags of 3 cu ft. It is also about 765 litres, a little over fifteen 50 L bags.
At 2 in deep a cubic yard covers 162 sq ft, at 3 in 108 sq ft and at 4 in 81 sq ft. In metric, a cubic metre covers 20 m² at 5 cm, 13.3 m² at 7.5 cm and 10 m² at 10 cm.
No. Enter the depth of the old layer under Old mulch already there and the calculator orders only the difference up to your target depth. Break up a crusted or matted layer with a rake before you top it up.
Keep it clear of the bark. Iowa State Extension advises at least 6 inches between mulch and a tree trunk, and Clemson 2 to 3 inches round the stems of shrubs. Measure the tree with the Ring shape and use that bare circle as the inner diameter.
It depends on local prices and the delivery charge. Bulk mulch is sold by the cubic yard or cubic metre and usually delivered; bags need no delivery and let you buy exactly what you need. Enter the three prices under Compare bag and bulk prices to see both totals for your beds.