Mulch Calculator for Around Trees
Mulch around a tree goes 2–3 inches deep in a ring out toward the drip line, and never banked against the trunk.
Work out what you need
Measure the area, set the depth, and this converts it to cubic yards, what it weighs on the truck, how many bags that replaces, and roughly what it should cost delivered.
Weight is quoted as a band because moisture moves it more than grade does — mulch after heavy rain runs to about 200% of its dry weight. The delivered range starts from a published $25–55 per cubic yard and is scaled by how your region's material prices compare with the national average, so treat it as a sanity check and not a quote.
Get a real price from yards near youNot mulching around trees? The mulch calculator covers every other job.
Why 2–3 inches for mulching around trees
The width of the ring matters more than the depth — grass competing at the trunk does more damage than a thin mulch layer ever will.
What goes wrong
A mulch volcano holds moisture against the bark and rots it. The tree dies from the base years later, long after anyone connects it to the mulch.
Past three inches mulch stops water reaching the roots instead of holding it there, and piled against a trunk it rots the bark.
Mulch by the numbers
| Weight per cubic yard | 400–800 lb dry |
|---|---|
| Tons per cubic yard | about 0.3 |
| Bags in a cubic yard | 13.5 × 2 cu ft bags |
| Half-ton pickup, one trip | about 1.25 cubic yards |
| Usually priced by the | cubic yard |
| Typical delivered price | $25–55 per cubic yard |
Double-ground hardwood is the common default. At 400–800 lb per yard dry it is a quarter the weight of soil, so a pickup manages two or three yards — but it roughly doubles in weight soaked.