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Hemlock mulch chart
Put your hemlock mulch area, depth and waste in: 550 sq ft at 2-inch depth with 10% waste needs 605.00 sq ft — 3.73 cubic yards exact, order 4.
★ CONSTRUCTION · REFERENCE TABLE #469 · HEMLOCK MULCH
Hemlock Mulch Chart: 550 Sq Ft, 2 Inches, Order 4 Yards
On the defaults — 550 square feet at a 2-inch depth with 10% waste — you need 605.00 square feet of coverage, which is 3.73 cubic yards exact, so order 4 cubic yards. This is reference table #469 — the hemlock version, where a soft, aromatic evergreen wood in a natural pale-tan color suits shaded beds — the black-mulch-chart page is the black version (600 sq ft, 4 inches, order 9 yards), the cocoa-mulch-chart page is the cocoa version (450 sq ft, 3 inches, order 5 yards), and the walnut-mulch-chart page is the walnut version (550 sq ft, 5 inches, order 10 yards).
What does 3.73 cubic yards of hemlock mulch mean?
It means 605.00 square feet of coverage at 2 inches deep: the 550 square feet you measured, plus 10% for settling and spreading loss. One cubic yard covers 324 square feet at 1 inch, so at 2 inches one yard covers 162.0 square feet — that is why even a modest bed orders several yards. The exact figure is 3.73 yards; you cannot order a fraction of a yard from most suppliers, so the order rounds up to 4. The extra 0.27 yard is not waste — it is the top-up the beds will need as the soft hemlock settles.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Needed area | area × (1 + waste ÷ 100) | 605.00 sq ft — 550 × 1.10. |
| Coverage per cubic yard | 324 ÷ depth in inches | 162.0 sq ft per yard — 324 ÷ 2. |
| Exact cubic yards | needed area × depth ÷ 324 | 3.73 — 605.00 × 2 ÷ 324. |
| Order | exact cubic yards rounded up | 4 cubic yards — 3.73 rounded up. |
| Area behind a target order | target yards × 324 ÷ depth ÷ (1 + waste ÷ 100) | 550 sq ft behind 3.73 yards at 2 inches and 10% waste. |
| Depth behind a target order | target yards × 324 ÷ needed area | 2 inches behind 3.73 yards over 605.00 sq ft. |
| Waste behind a target order | (target yards × 324 ÷ depth ÷ area − 1) × 100 | 10% behind 3.73 yards over 550 sq ft at 2 inches. |
Three things to check before you trust the number
First, measure only the beds you will cover: hemlock mulch on lawn or bare soil is not mulch, it is litter, and measuring the whole garden overstates the order. Second, depth is installed depth, not settled depth: soft hemlock packs down faster than hard woods, so a bed laid at 2 inches will not stay 2 inches — the 10% waste covers spreading loss, and a top-up after the first season keeps shaded beds evenly covered. Third, hemlock is a pale, natural color: its soft aromatic evergreen wood lightens shaded beds beautifully, but the same pale tan can look washed out in blazing sun next to bright flowers — check the garden’s look, not just the volume, before ordering by the yard.
Worked example
Area 550 square feet, depth 2 inches, waste 10%. Needed area: 550 × 1.10 = 605.00 square feet. Coverage per yard at 2 inches: 324 ÷ 2 = 162.0 square feet. Exact yards: 605.00 ÷ 162.0 = 3.73. Order: 4 cubic yards. The same area at 4 inches would need 7.47 yards (order 8), and at 1 inch it would need 1.87 yards (order 2) — depth drives this chart more than area does, because every extra inch multiplies the whole surface.
Hemlock mulch lookup table
Every row below is the same formula at 10% waste: needed area is area × 1.10, exact cubic yards are needed area × depth ÷ 324, and the order is the exact figure rounded up. Rows vary in both area and depth, so a shallow small bed and a deep large one can both be read off directly. Find your row, or use the calculator above for any size the table does not list.
| Area (sq ft) | Depth (inches) | Needed area (sq ft) | Exact cubic yards | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 2 | 110.00 | 0.68 | 1 cubic yard |
| 200 | 2 | 220.00 | 1.36 | 2 cubic yards |
| 100 | 3 | 110.00 | 1.02 | 2 cubic yards |
| 200 | 3 | 220.00 | 2.04 | 3 cubic yards |
| 300 | 2 | 330.00 | 2.04 | 3 cubic yards |
| 400 | 2 | 440.00 | 2.72 | 3 cubic yards |
| 300 | 3 | 330.00 | 3.06 | 4 cubic yards |
| 400 | 3 | 440.00 | 4.07 | 5 cubic yards |
| 550 | 2 | 605.00 | 3.73 | 4 cubic yards |
| 550 | 3 | 605.00 | 5.60 | 6 cubic yards |
| 500 | 2 | 550.00 | 3.40 | 4 cubic yards |
| 700 | 2 | 770.00 | 4.75 | 5 cubic yards |
| 700 | 3 | 770.00 | 7.13 | 8 cubic yards |
| 1000 | 2 | 1100.00 | 6.79 | 7 cubic yards |
| 550 | 4 | 605.00 | 7.47 | 8 cubic yards |
| 800 | 2 | 880.00 | 5.43 | 6 cubic yards |
Every branch, checked
At 0% waste, 550 square feet at 2 inches needs 3.40 yards exact — order 4. At 4 inches with 10% waste, the same area needs 7.47 yards exact — order 8. At 1000 square feet with 2 inches and 10% waste, the order is 6.79 yards exact — order 7. At 300 square feet with 2 inches and 10% waste, the order is 2.04 yards exact — order 3. Each branch changes exactly one input, so the difference from 3.73 isolates that input.
The reverses, worked backwards
The area behind 3.73 yards is 550 square feet: at 450 square feet the figures are 3.06 yards exact — order 4, and at 650 square feet they are 4.41 yards exact — order 5. The depth behind 3.73 yards is 2 inches: at 1 inch the figures are 1.87 yards exact — order 2, and at 3 inches they are 5.60 yards exact — order 6. The waste behind 3.73 yards is 10%: at 5% the figures are 3.56 yards exact — order 4, and at 15% they are 3.90 yards exact — order 4 — waste moves the exact figure here without changing the order, which is why the order alone never tells you the waste. A 100-square-foot step moves the exact figure by about 0.68 yards at this depth; a 1-inch step moves it by about 1.87 yards.
What the defaults assume
The defaults assume a flat 550-square-foot mulched area, a uniform 2-inch installed depth, and 10% waste for settling and uneven ground. Real beds slope, have edging that holds mulch, and lose material to wind — open, sloped beds deserve more waste, and sheltered beds with edging deserve less. Zero area is the honest edge: 0.00 yards, order 0. Negative area, zero depth, and negative waste are rejected. This chart prices volume only: it does not certify hemlock mulch as suited to any plant, soil, or shade condition.
Who uses this
A gardener mulching shaded beds for a light, natural finish: the beds are measured once, the depth is set by the shade, and the order is the budget line. A landscaper quoting a hemlock install: the lookup table prices common sizes on the spot, and the calculator handles the odd shape. A homeowner covering a new border under trees: the border area, not the whole yard, is the area to enter. A groundskeeper topping up beds: the same formula prices the top-up if the area and the missing depth are measured first.
Accuracy & limitations
The arithmetic is exact for the inputs entered; the judgement is in the area and the depth. An area measured at the whole garden instead of the beds overstates the order badly, and an installed depth that later packs down is not the depth plants enjoy. The model does not account for edging, drainage, weed fabric, delivery minimums, or how fast soft hemlock breaks down in damp shade — confirm the mulch suits the garden before ordering. This page is a calculation tool, not gardening advice.
Cite this calculator
Hemlock mulch for 550 sq ft at 2-inch depth with 10% waste: 605.00 sq ft needed, 3.73 cubic yards exact, order 4. Lookup table, branches, reverses, and tips. Source: Bright Side Kit, https://brightoolbox.com/hemlock-mulch-chart/, accessed 30 October 2026 (2026-10-30).
Frequently asked questions
Why order 4 yards when the exact figure is 3.73?
Because suppliers sell whole yards and the mulch settles: the 0.27 yard of rounding is the first top-up. Ordering exactly 3.73 is impossible, and ordering 3 leaves the beds short before settling even starts.
Should I measure the whole garden or just the beds?
Just the beds you will cover. Lawn, patios, and bare soil you leave unmulched need no hemlock mulch, and measuring them inflates the order by the whole unmulched area.
Is 2 inches deep enough for shaded beds?
For hemlock in shade, 2 inches is a sound installed depth: it lightens the ground, holds moisture, and does not smother shallow roots. In deep shade with heavy leaf fall, check the depth each season, because leaves and settling thin the layer faster than sun does.
Does hemlock mulch suit shaded beds?
It suits them well: soft aromatic evergreen wood in a natural pale-tan color brightens ground that gets little sun, and it breaks down gently into the soil. In very damp shade it breaks down faster than hard woods, so budget a yearly top-up rather than a single install.
What if my bed is not a rectangle?
Break it into rectangles and add the areas, or measure the longest length times the longest width and accept a small overestimate. For an L-shaped bed, two rectangles are exact; a single bounding rectangle overstates the order, which is safer than understating it.
How often should hemlock mulch be topped up?
Check it each season: soft wood settles and decomposes, so a bed laid at 2 inches is often nearer 1 inch a year later. Top up to the installed depth rather than adding a fresh full layer on top of the old one.