Mulch is a great assistant when you want your garden to look breathtaking and healthy. However, trying to find how much it weights can be rather bewildering for many people. Are you having trouble too? Not to worry, we’re here to help!

First of all, we need to determine what a mulch is, exactly. Basically, this is any material, placed on the soil to retain moisture and prevent eroding. So obviously, making sure that your garden is covered is essential for anyone that has a little green space. However, this process becomes rather challenging, when people start to wonder how much does a yard of mulch weigh. 

However to answer that, we have to keep in mind what type you will be using, the area that will be covered e.t.c. Also, remember – there are different types of mulch and all of them will have a different weight. With that said, let’s now take a look in more detail, and determine how much does a yard of mulch weigh.   

Why is Mulch Necessary?

Mulch has a lot of benefits. And they can be really good not only for the overall look of your yard but its health too. Overall, mulching helps:

• Preventing excessive evaporation thus helping the soil to retain moisture
• Stoping the weed from growing
• Maintaining an even soil temperature by keeping it warm in winters and cool in summer
• Protect from soil erosion by preventing soil splashing
• Keeping soil-borne diseases away from plants
• If you go for organic mulches, they can improve the soil structure of your yard. When these mulches decay, they act as nutrients to the topsoil improving its quality
• Making the landscape look incredibly beautiful
• Reducing damages caused by mowing
• Protect from soil compaction

Now that we know the benefits of mulching a yard, let’ find out how does a yard of mulch weighs.

How to Measure Square Footage to Cover With Mulch?

Before worrying about the weight of a yard of mulch, you must first measure the area that needs to be mulched. It can be done in three simple steps:

• Measure the area that needs to be mulched in length and breadth
• Multiply these two figures
• What you get is the square feet of the area

For example, if the length of your garden is 10 feet and the width 6 feet, you have to multiply 10 into 6. And Voila! You have your square footage. However, in order to find out how much does 1 yard of mulch weigh you have to keep in mind several other aspects.

Different Types of Mulches and How Much Do They Weigh

There are different types of this covering, and to know how much does a bag of mulch weigh, we need to familiarize ourselves with them.

Wood Mulch

All organic wood mulches cover almost the same area. However, how heavy is a bag of mulch depends on whether it is wet or dry. The approximate weight of a bag should be around 20 pounds and the cubic yard weight is 540 pounds. Wood mulch comes in 2 cubic foot bag and It’s better to install them between 2 to 4 inches of thickness.

Products we like: Rio Hamza Trading Pine Bark Mulch, Wood Smith USA 100% Natural Cedar Chips, MIGHTY109 Cedar Wood Chips

Straw Mulch

These are found in bags that contain 2.5 cubic feet. Straw mulch weighs around 50 pounds with cubic yard weight of 1350 and it covers around 500 square feet of area.

Products we like: Rhino Seed & Landscaping Supply EZ STRAW MULCH, USA Pine Straw Premium Pine Needle Mulch, USA Premium Pine Straw

Compost Mulch

This is an excellent organic mulch that is a boon to your soil. It comes in 1 or 2 cubic foot bags with a weight of 44 pounds per cubic foot. it’s cubic yard weight is 1188. Also remember that the cover should have a thickness of 1 inch.

Products we like: Charlie’s Compost, Dr. Earth 803 All Purpose Compost

Inorganic Mulches

Inorganic mulches require more work to install. However, since they do not decompose, you don’t have to replace them very often. let’s take a look at the 3 inorganic mulches and measure how much a half cubic footbag can cover-up when applied at 2-inch thickness.

• River rock: 50 pounds or 1350 cubic yard weigh can cover up to 2 square feet 
• Lava rock: 486 cubic yard or 18 pounds – up to 3 square feet
• Marble chips: 45 pounds or 648 cubic yard weight – cover up to 2 square feet

Mulch in Buck vs By the Bag: Which to Buy?

Now that you know how much does a cubic yard of mulch weigh let’s take a look at whether you should buy the mulch in a buck or bag.

	Pros	Cons
By the Bag	● You can spread it in your yard ● Can store it for later use ● You can take breaks while applying it in your yard ● Variety of options	● More expensive ● Not eco-friendly because of the plastic bags
By the Yard	● Cheaper ● More eco-friendly	● Comes in one big pile ● Mulch may be wet and thus heavy ● You must spread it as quickly as possible

Mulch Installation Tips

• Get rid of weed and unwanted grass growth
• If using compost, straw, or wood, apply the mulch directly to the ground and then go on spreading it evenly
• In the case of organic mulching, check every 6 to 12 months
• Install weed cloth if sink rubber or stone mulch

So, How Much Does A Yard Of Mulch Weigh?

Mulching is a really useful and helpful process that will make your garden look so much more beautiful and healthy. Something to be proud of. And now that you know how much a yard of mulch weigh and how you can apply it the right way, don’t waste any second! Get your dump cart and begin today – you will not be disappointed!