How much mulch for a 4 x 8 bed?
Short answer
- A 4 x 8 ft bed is 32 square feet. At 3 inches deep it needs 0.3 cubic yards (8 cubic feet) of mulch.
- With 5% extra: 5 bags of 2 cu ft or 3 bags of 3 cu ft (0.31 cubic yards).
- It's typically a small raised bed or a foundation strip.
- If you edge all four sides, that's 24 feet of edging.
Mulch for a 4 x 8 bed at 2, 3, 4 inches
Cubic yards are shown without extra so you can compare quotes. The other columns include 5% extra.
Open this bed in the mulch calculator to change the size, depth, extra or material.
How the math works
4 ft × 8 ft = 32 sq ft. At 3 inches deep that's 32 × 3 ÷ 12 = 8 cubic feet, and ÷ 27 = 0.3 cubic yards. Adding 5% gives 8.4 cubic feet to buy.
How deep should it be?
Penn State Extension recommends a 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch. Use the low end for fine shredded mulch or to top up an old layer, and keep mulch a few inches away from tree trunks and stems.