Our clients at Reliable Peat have questions about landscape mulch, which our team gives an overview to help. Such as what type of mulch to use in your yard or garden, how to apply it, and how much you will need.
What is landscape mulch?
Whether it is organic pine mulch, rocks, or stones, you choose for your property, the material is spread across the ground, around trees and plants to form a protective layer and provide many benefits. Your soil is similar to a layer cake, the icing on the top is the mulch!
What are the benefits of mulch?
Adds organic matter to the soil
Organic pine bark mulch red mulch, black mulch, chocolate mulch, slowly breaks down and adds valuable nutrients into the soil, which will help your plants thrive in Central Florida’s environment.
Retains moisture in the soil
Even in the hot rainy season, significant surface moisture on the soil is lost due to evaporation. Mulch helps retain the moisture by sealing in the water, reducing water runoff during a rainstorm.
Moderates the temperature of the soil
Mulch also provides protection from the temperature, extreme heat and cold, by acting as a blanket. Keeping the soil cool in the summer and warm in the winter months.
Improved appearance of your landscape and garden
Mulch gives your landscape and garden that professionally finished look. Creating a smooth and uniform surface. Making your home more attractive.
How Much Will You Need?
Typically, you want a good layer of mulch, about 3 inches deep. Maybe a little more if the area receives a lot of sun, weeds tend to be more aggressive in these sections.
Calculating how much mulch you will need can be a little tricky. You can use the instructions below or just contact Reliable Peat, one of our friendly team will assist you in ordering the correct amount for your project.
First, measure the width and length of the area you want mulched in feet, then multiply them together to find the area in square feet.
Second, calculate how deep you want the mulch. Then multiply the area of square feet by the depth in inches. For example, if the square footage is 500 and you want it 3 inches deep, 500 x 3 = 1500
Third, divide the answer by 324 (since a single cubic yard of mulch will cover 324 square feet of ground that is one inch deep). Then round to the nearest whole number, 1500 / 324 = 5 cubic yards of mulch.
You can also visit the mulch calculator at Stop Waste.
