1 / Type of Mulch
Picking the right mulch for your gardening needs is an important step in determining how much of the product you will need.
Fine Mulch: Fine mulches include products like ground hugger & forest floor mulch, which is partially decomposed wood products and shredded mulches commonly found in nurseries. These products are useful for adding a bit of colour to your garden, as well as improving your soil and encouraging the growth of your plants.
Coarse Mulch: Coarse Mulch includes bark nuggets. These are not shredded products and are good for controlling weeds and making your garden look better. However, since it has not begun to decompose, it is best used where there isn't the need for soil improvement.
2 / How Much Do You Need?
For many, determining the amount of mulch needed for a garden can be a bit daunting. To begin, you will want to measure the length and width of the area you plan to mulch in metres. Then, multiply those numbers to get the area of your garden. If you have multiple areas to mulch, repeat this process for each section and add them together to find the total amount of coverage you need.
Next you will want to determine how thick you want to lay the mulch. For finer mulches in a flower bed you will want to lay about 5 - 10cm of mulch while coarser mulches can be laid in a thickness of up to 15 cms. Once you have determined how thick you want to lay your mulch. It's time for more maths.
You will multiply your total area by how deep you want your mulch. If you have a garden that is 40 square metres and you want it to be 10cm or 0.1m deep, multiply those numbers (40m x 0.1m) to get 4 cubic metres of mulch. This will cover 40 square metres 10 cm deep.
For non even numbers, you will want to round up to the nearest whole number to get the total cubic metres of mulch you will need for your garden. If you have a round bed, you will want to find the radius of the bed and square it by multiplying it by itself. Then, multiply the resulting number by 3.14. Once you have the resulting number, you find the depth and total number just as you would with a rectangular bed. This process will help take the guesswork out of buying mulch. By using this method, you can finish styling your garden and enjoy the view even quicker after a hard days work.
Author Bio : Thank you to Sarah Bradley for writing our blog for us this month. Sarah works for “Yourgreenpal and she loves gardening and lawn care.
