How to read the coverage chart
Sq ft per cu yd tells you the largest area one cubic yard of mulch can cover at that depth. So 1 cu yd at 3 inches deep covers 108 sq ft. Above 4 inches deep, you won't get more than 81 sq ft per yard — important to know before paying for delivery.
Cu yd per 100 sq ft is the inverse — how much mulch you need to cover a standard 100 sq ft bed at that depth. 0.93 cu yd at 3 inches. Almost exactly one yard.
Bags per 100 sq ft applies the same math to 2 cu ft and 3 cu ft retail bag sizes. Round up — stores don't sell partial bags.
The math behind the chart
One cubic yard equals 27 cubic feet. Coverage equals 27 ÷ (depth in feet). To get depth in feet from inches, divide by 12. So at 3 inches: 27 ÷ 0.25 = 108 sq ft per cu yd. At 6 inches: 27 ÷ 0.5 = 54 sq ft per cu yd. The chart precomputes every depth from 1 to 6 inches so you don't have to.
Why this chart beats memorizing one number
“A yard covers 100 sq ft” is the rule of thumb you'll hear at garden centers — and it's only true at 3 inches. Apply at 2 inches and you cover 60% more area per yard. Apply at 4 inches and you cover 25% less. Picking the wrong depth wastes a few bucks on a small project, but on a large property it's the difference between one yard and two.
Print-friendly version
Use the Print button at the top of the chart for a clean black-and-white copy. The page is styled to fit a single sheet of letter paper at 100% zoom. The CSV download opens cleanly in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers.