Mulch Calculator
User-friendly Mulch Calculator is a free tool that figure out how many bags of mulch do I need, and total cost of mulch easily. Just select whether you know area or not, enter depth, length, width, bag size, and cost per one bag details in the specified input boxes and tap on the calclate button to get the how much mulch, how many bags of mulch required and total costs of mulch details as output.
What is Mulch?
Mulch is a kind of material that we place on the soil to maintain its moisture, prevent unwanted plant growth, and improve the aesthetic value of the soil. Mulch covers the soil so that sunlight doesn't touch the soil surface. The thicker mulch layer also makes it difficult for rainwater to go into the soil. So, The mulch layer should be about 2 inches.
Mulch improves soil productivity. Most the people like mulch as it reduces unwanted plant growth and the landscape looks more beautiful. Mulch is available in different forms and colours like black, brown, and red.
What are Different Types of Mulch?
The different types of mulch are included here with their characteristics.
- Wood Bark Mulch: This mulch is made from tree bark. Its major benefit is its natural colour. Bark fragments are irregular and create random shapes and figures easily. By choosing bark mulch pieces of specific sizes, you can change the speed of their decay. The smaller bark chips will decompose faster.
- Woodchip Mulch: It is created when tree branches or larger stems are chipped. Examples are cedar mulch and cypress mulch. Woodchip mulch can also be created by processing used packaging pallets.
- Straw Mulch: It is known for its ability to retain heat. Use it to protect plants from cold. It is very cheap and exchangeable.
- Plastic Mulch: It is mainly used in large-scale plant growing.
- Sawdust Mulch: It is the economical choice. Its particles are tiny and delicate so they may be vulnerable to some weather conditions.
- Rubber Mulch: It is made from recycled tires. It keeps the soil warm for a longer period. Rubber mulch is a perfect choice for a child's playground. It has enormous insulating properties.
How much Mulch do I need?
The amount of mulch needed is estimated by using the volume o the desired mulch layer, and the cost of the mulch.
- Get the length, width, and depth details.
- Multiply the length and width to check the area.
- Again multiply the depth by area to know the volume of the mulch.
- Divide volume by the depth to obtain the number of mulch bags required.
- The cost of mulch is obtained by finding the product of a number of mulch bags and the price per bag.
Example:
If you have you have to buy a rectangular mulch of length 5 m, width 8 m, and depth 2 m, the size of mulch bag is 5 cubic m and cost of one bag is 15 rupees. Find how much mulch do I need, how many bags are needed and what is the total cost?
Solution:
Given that,
Length = 5 m
Width = 8 m
depth = 2 m
Size of mulch bag = 5 cubic m
Price of one bag = Rs 15
Area = length x width
= 5 x 8 = 40 sq m
Volume = area x depth
= 40 x 2 = 80 cu m
Number of mulch bags needed = volume/area
= 80/5 = 16
Total cost of mulch = number of bags x price per bag
= 16 x 15 = 240 rupees.
Therefore, the amount of mulch needed is 80 cu m, the number of mulch bags required is 16 and the total cost is 240 rupees.
FAQs on Mulch Calculator
1. How do I calculate bags of mulch?
To calculate the number of bags of mulch, multiply your area with the depth of mulch required and then divide by the bag size.
2. What is the best depth for mulch?
The best depth of mulch is two to four inches.
3. How many bags of mulch are in a yard?
One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. So there are 14 standard bags in each cubic yard.
4. How much does a bag of mulch weighs?
On average, one 2 cu ft bag of mulch weighs 20 pounds. The moisture content and type of material also impact the weight of the mulch bag.
