Mulch depth
How thick a layer of mulch you spread. Iowa State suggests 2 to 4 inches for hardwood mulch. One cubic yard covers 162 square feet at 2 inches.
Also called: mulch coverage, mulch layer
Deeper mulch covers less ground: one cubic yard covers 324 square feet divided by the depth in inches.How much one cubic yard covers
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Spread it thinner and it covers more ground:
| Depth |
Area covered by 1 cubic yard |
| 1 inch |
324 sq ft |
| 2 inches |
162 sq ft |
| 3 inches |
108 sq ft |
| 4 inches |
81 sq ft |
The rule behind the table: area = 324 ÷ depth in inches.
Working out what to buy
- Measure the bed and find its area in square feet.
- Turn the depth into feet by dividing inches by 12.
- Multiply area × depth to get cubic feet.
- Divide by 27 for cubic yards, or by the bag size for bags. Round up.
Iowa State’s guide gives 2 to 4 inches for hardwood mulch. Other materials can call for other depths, so check the advice for the mulch you’re using.
Everyday Measure · everydaymeasure.com/glossary/mulch-depth/