A cubic yard is one yard cubed, or twenty seven cubic feet. It is the standard measurement that Ferris Mulch uses for selling bulk landscaping materials. Bulk materials are materials sold in large quantity. In regard to landscaping materials, bulk materials are normally sold loose, not in bags. For instance, at Ferris Mulch there are large bins of various mulches, soil and compost products. When purchased, these materials are loaded with a large front-loader bucket into the customer’s truck or trailer. The accepted standard of measurement in the mulch industry is the cubic yard. The above photo shows one cubic yard of mulch, while the photo below shows ten cubic yards of mulch (as compared to a man that is six feet tall).

Two cubic yards of mulch will fill a 6' pick-up truck bed. When spread, one cubic yard covers 158 square feet of ground if applied two inches thick. Likewise, two cubic yards will cover 316 square feet of ground two inches thick, and ten cubic yards will cover 1580 square feet of ground two inches thick.

To calculate the number of cubic yards required for your next landscaping project, refer to the Mulch Application Chart below.

CUBIC YARDS	1" DEEP	2" DEEP	3" DEEP
1	338 sq. ft.	158 sq. ft.	108 sq. ft.
2	676 sq. ft.	316 sq. ft.	216 sq. ft.
3	1014 sq. ft.	474 sq. ft.	324 sq. ft.
4	1352 sq. ft.	632 sq. ft.	432 sq. ft.
5	1690 sq. ft.	790 sq. ft.	540 sq. ft.
6	2028 sq. ft.	948 sq. ft.	648 sq. ft.
7	2366 sq. ft.	1106 sq. ft.	756 sq. ft.
8	2704 sq. ft.	1264 sq. ft.	864 sq. ft.
9	3042 sq. ft.	1422 sq. ft.	972 sq. ft.
10	3380 sq. ft.	1580 sq. ft.	1080 sq. ft.
11	3718 sq. ft.	1738 sq. ft.	1188 sq. ft.
12	4056 sq. ft.	1896 sq. ft.	1296 sq. ft.

The cubic yard is a valuable unit of measurement to help assure that you are getting the value you expect when purchasing landscaping materials.

To figure square footage:

1. Multiply length x width = Square Footage
2. Multiply by .25   (3"depth*) = Cubic Feet
3. Divide by 27 = Cubic Yards needed

* 3" depth = .25       2" depth = .166       1" depth = .083

How much mulch do I need?
Landscape mulch and wood chips are normally placed 3" deep around shrubs and on flower beds.
One cubic yard will cover 108 square feet at 3" depth.

How should I prepare my area to be mulched?
Scrape and turn any old mulch that will be covered – breaking up any hardened areas. This allows moisture to reach the soil beneath mulch.

How close to my plants and buildings can I mulch?
NEVER lay mulch so that it is directly touching any plant material or wood structure. Mulch is moist and will cause rotting.

How much playground mulch do I need?

• Certified playground mulch is normally placed 12" deep for child safety.
• Every cubic yard will cover 27 square feet.
• Ferris Playsafe Mulch is IPEMA certified.

This information was compiled courtesy of Ferris Mulch Products, LLC. 203-790-1155