How Much Mulch for 450 Square Feet?
Material needed
4.17 cubic yards
450 square feet at 3 inches deep, bark mulch at roughly 800 lb per cubic yard.
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How that number is worked out
These are the figures this page was built with and every line the calculator produces from them. Change anything above and all of it moves.
- Bed area450 sq ft
- Depth3 in
- MaterialMulch
Material needed4.17 cubic yards
| Volume | 112.5 cu ft |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards | 4.17most yards sell in half yard steps |
| Order in half yards | 4.5 cu yd |
| 2 cu ft bags, if bagging it | 57 |
| Approximate weight | 3,333 lb (1.67 tons) |
The material list this produces
| Material, cubic yards | 4.5 |
|---|---|
| Landscape fabric, sq ft | 450 |
| Edging, linear ft | 85 |
Depth compared
Depth is the whole calculation. Two inches will not hold weeds down, and four starts to smother shallow roots.
| Depth | Material needed | Order in half yards |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 2.78 cubic yards | 3 cu yd |
| 3 in | 4.17 cubic yards | 4.5 cu yd |
| 4 in | 5.56 cubic yards | 6 cu yd |
| 6 in | 8.33 cubic yards | 8.5 cu yd |
What this calculator assumes
- Three inches is the usual mulch depth. Two is thin and will not hold weeds down, four starts to smother shallow roots and holds water against trunks.
- Weights are approximate and vary with moisture: mulch about 800 lb per cubic yard, topsoil 2200, gravel 2800, sand 2700.
- Bagged material is sold in 2 cubic foot bags, and there are 13.5 of those in a cubic yard.
Questions people ask
How much mulch for 450 square feet?
About 4.17 cubic yards at 3 inches deep, or 57 bags at 2 cubic feet each.
The mulch and gravel calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.
Other common sizes
7 more sizes are answered on the mulch and gravel calculator page