How Much Mulch for 600 Square Feet?
Material needed
5.56 cubic yards
600 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 area600 sq ft
- Depth3 in
- MaterialMulch
Material needed5.56 cubic yards
| Volume | 150 cu ft |
|---|---|
| Cubic yards | 5.56most yards sell in half yard steps |
| Order in half yards | 6 cu yd |
| 2 cu ft bags, if bagging it | 75 |
| Approximate weight | 4,444 lb (2.22 tons) |
The material list this produces
| Material, cubic yards | 6 |
|---|---|
| Landscape fabric, sq ft | 600 |
| Edging, linear ft | 98 |
Depth compared
Depth is the whole calculation. Two inches will not suppress weeds, six inches will suffocate roots.
| Depth | Material needed | Order in half yards |
|---|---|---|
| 2 in | 3.7 cubic yards | 4 cu yd |
| 3 in | 5.56 cubic yards | 6 cu yd |
| 4 in | 7.41 cubic yards | 7.5 cu yd |
| 6 in | 11.11 cubic yards | 11.5 cu yd |
What else matters here
Six yards is a small dump truck load and a little over two tons. At this volume the price per yard usually drops, because the yard is charging one delivery either way and would rather send a full truck.
Ask what the price is at six yards and at eight before ordering six. The step down in price per yard often more than covers the extra material, and mulch keeps fine in a pile for a few weeks if some is left over.
Plan the labor honestly. Six yards is around sixty wheelbarrow loads and a long day for one person with a fork and a barrow, or a comfortable morning for three people with the pile in the right place.
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 many yards of mulch for 600 square feet?
About 5.56 cubic yards at 3 inches deep, usually ordered as 6.
Is mulch cheaper by the truckload?
Usually yes. Most yards price per yard on a sliding scale because the delivery costs them the same whether the truck is half full or full, so ask for the price at the next size up.
How long does it take to spread 6 yards of mulch?
Around sixty wheelbarrow loads. A full day for one person, a morning for a crew of three with the pile close to the beds.
The mulch and gravel calculator takes any dimensions you like and hands back the same list.