Mulch for a 10×10 ft garden bed
A 10 × 10 ft garden bed at 3 in deep needs 0.93 cubic yards of mulch — about 13 × 40 lb bags, roughly 0.31 tons and $35.19 of material. Fine-tune below.
Full breakdown
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Volume before waste | 25.0 ft³ |
| Volume with 5% waste | 26.3 ft³ |
| Cubic yards | 0.97 |
| Cubic metres | 0.74 |
| Cubic feet | 26.3 |
| Weight | 0.33 tons (656 lb) |
| Full dump-truck loads | 1 × 10 yd³ truck |
| 40 lb bags | 14 bags · $55.30 |
| Sq ft covered at 1 in deep | 315 |
| Sq ft covered at 3 in deep | 105 |
- Formula: length × width × depth, with depth converted from inches to feet (÷ 12), then × (1 + waste%).
- Mulch: Mulch is sold by the cubic yard in bulk with delivery, or in 2 cubic foot bags from a garden centre; bulk is dramatically cheaper above about 2 yards.
- More than 3 inches of mulch smothers roots and holds too much moisture against trunks — pushing it into a cone around a tree is the single most common way people kill one.
- Prices are national averages for planning, not quotes. Confirm with a local supplier — delivery, short-load fees and tax are extra.
At 10 × 10 feet and 3 in deep you are covering 100 square feet with 25.0 cubic feet of mulch — 0.93 cubic yards. At 25 lb per cubic foot that weighs about 0.31 tons.
The calculator above is pre-filled with these dimensions — change any field to see the numbers update. Mulch is sold by the cubic yard in bulk with delivery, or in 2 cubic foot bags from a garden centre; bulk is dramatically cheaper above about 2 yards.
Frequently asked questions
How many cubic yards of mulch for a 10×10 ft garden bed?
About 0.93 cubic yards at 3 in deep, which is 25.0 cubic feet or 0.31 tons. Add 5% waste if the ground is uneven.
How many bags is that?
13 × 40 lb bags, or 13 × 40 lb bags. Bagged is only worth it at this size if you cannot take a truck delivery.
What depth should a garden bed be?
3 in is the standard for mulch in this application. More than 3 inches of mulch smothers roots and holds too much moisture against trunks — pushing it into a cone around a tree is the single most common way people kill one.