Mulching is one of the best ways of improving the condition of your yard. Besides adding a visual appeal to your landscape area and property, mulching provides an ideal environment for your plants to thrive.
But before mulching your yard, you need to figure out the quantity required to cover the entire area. And this is where you may have trouble wondering how much does a yard of mulch weigh.
In this guide, you’ll learn about the weight of mulch, the quantity of mulch you may need for your yard, how deep your mulch should be, and more.
Contents
How Much Does a Yard of Mulch Weigh?
A cubic yard of mulch (3 feet long by 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall) weighs between 400 and 1000 pounds. That’s approximately 0.2 to 0.5 tons. Mulch weight per yard varies based on the material used, moisture content, and size of the particles.
When mulching, you can either use organic or inorganic mulch material. The heavier the mulch material, the more pounds you’ll need per yard.
Mulch with higher moisture content is heavier than mulch with lower moisture content. A yard of compost is heavier than a yard of wood chips because compost retains more moisture than wood chippings. Knowing the amount of water in your mulch is advisable before buying it.
The size of particles will determine the weight of your mulch per yard. The smaller the particles, the heavier the mulch will be and vice versa. Smaller particles have few spaces in between and can absorb and retain much water.
Conversely, larger particles have many spaces between them and retain less water. Examples of mulch with larger particles are wood chips, grass clippings, and wood mulch.
How To Calculate the Weight of Mulch for My Yard?
To determine the quantity of mulching your garden needs, you should measure its area in cubic feet. Here are the steps to follow:
- Measure your garden’s length and width
- Multiply the two figures to get its square feet
- Measure the depth you want to lay your mulch
- To get the area in cubic feet, multiply your garden’s square feet by the depth
For example, if your garden has a length of 30 feet and a width of 20 feet, multiply the two figures to get the area in square feet.
30 x 20 = 600
If you prefer to lay mulch two inches high, divide the two inches by 12 to convert it into feet.
2/12 equals 0.167 feet
Then, multiply 600 sq. ft. by 0.167 to get the area in cubic feet.
600 x 0.167 =100.2 cubic feet
To calculate the number of cubic yards for your garden, divide the cubic feet (100.2) by the number of cubic feet in one cubic yard (27).
100.227=3.71 cubic yards
So, your yard requires a mulch weighing between 1,484 to 3,710 pounds.
How Many Pounds is 2 Cubic Yards of Mulch? If one cubic yard of mulch is around 400 to 1000 pounds, 2 yards of mulch will weigh between 800 and 2000 pounds. That’s equivalent to 0.4 and 1 tons per cubic yard.
How much does a yard of mulch weigh? While moisture content, type of mulch, and size of particles determine how heavy or light your mulch is, you can use the above figures to determine mulch weight per yard.
How Much Does a Truck Load of Mulch Weigh?
The weight of a truckload of mulch varies depending on the truck model. The dimension of a long bed truck is 8 feet long by 5.33 feet wide by 1.5 feet high. Such a truck can accommodate 2-3 cubic yards of mulch. That means the truck can hold mulch weighing between 800 and 3000 pounds.
Trucks with smaller beds/box sizes can accommodate 1-2 cubic yards of mulch. That means they can hold mulch weighing between 400 and 2000 pounds.
How Much Does a Cubic Yard of Mulch Weigh by Material?
As mentioned earlier, different mulch materials have different weights. To determine the quantity of mulch you need for your garden, ask the exact figures from manufacturers. However, here are the approximate weights of mulch by the cubic yard:
- Wood mulch = 550lbs
- Straw mulch = 1,400lbs
- Compost mulch = 1,200lbs
- Marble chips = 650lbs
- Rubber mulch = 1,200lbs
- River rock = 1,350lbs
How Deep Should Your Mulch Be?
Use about one to two inches of mulch if you’re working with finely-textured mulch material. What if you’re using coarse-textured mulch material? In that case, you should add a few layers of mulch – about three to four inches of mulch to get the best results.
You’ll want to consider the depth of your mulch before mulching. Over-mulching can affect the health of your plants. It diminishes the oxygen supply to the roots and encourages fungi to flourish. Under-mulching won’t be helpful to your yard, especially if your goal is to conserve soil moisture.
So, how deep should your mulch be? It depends on the texture of the material used.
Spread your mulch evenly to ensure your yard looks beautiful and healthy. If your pets or storm carry your mulch away and leave bald patches around your yard, add more mulch and avoid over-mulching.
Final Thoughts
Mulching is an essential practice you should not overlook if you want a healthy and beautiful yard. And before mulching, you may wonder, “How much does a yard of mulch weigh?”
A cubic yard of mulch weighs between 400 and 1000 pounds. The weight varies depending on the type of material used, moisture content, and the size of particles.
To determine the mulch your yard requires, calculate the garden area in cubic squares and cubic yards. The figure you’ll get will allow you to determine how many pounds your garden needs.
Hello! My name is Chris, and I am the founder of Yard Floor. When I was a toddler, my family had a lush green lawn. I was at the center of caring for and maintaining this lawn and even proceeded to take an associate’s Degree in landscaping. I am here to share my years of experience with you – be it repairing your mower/tractor or caring for your lawn.
