HOW MUCH
DO YOU NEED?
Measure the bed, pick the depth, get the load size. Add 10–15% for settling and waste.
- 1Measure the bed at its widest points.
Run a tape along the longest edge for the length, then across at the widest spot for the width. Round up to the nearest foot.
- 2Pick a depth.
2 inches is the minimum to suppress weeds. 3 inches is standard for flower beds and around trees. 4 inches for fresh installs that haven't settled.
- 3Plug it in.
Enter length × width × depth above. The calculator does the cubic-yard math; we round up to a number we can actually scoop.
IRREGULAR SHAPES
For a curving bed, break it into 2–3 rectangles or one big rectangle minus a corner, then add the pieces together. Don't bother being surgical — mulch packs down, and 10% extra is cheap insurance.