How Much Area Will a Yard of Mulch Cover?

The area a yard of mulch covers depends on the thickness of the application.

Organic mulches such as pine bark or wood chips help with establishing beds of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals. Organic mulch may need replenishing every year or two, according to the University of Florida, though mulching requirements decrease as plants grow.

The Facts

A yard of mulch will cover slightly more than 80 square feet at a depth of 4 inches. A yard of mulch is equal to 27 cubic feet.

The Math

To determine mulch needed for a specific project, measure the length and width of the area and decide how thick you want the mulch to be. Multiply the length and width of the area. For example, for a flowerbed 11 feet wide by 10 feet long, multiply 11 times 10 to get 110 square feet. Then, for a mulch layer 3 inches thick, convert from inches to feet -- in this case a quarter foot -- and multiply by the area: .25 ft x 110 sq ft = 27.5 cubic ft.

Considerations

Keep mulch a few inches away from plant stems or tree trunks to decrease the chances of stem or trunk rot. This means you may need less mulch than calculated.

References

• University of Florida: Mulches for the Landscape
• University of Illinois: Measuring Bark Mulch Requirements