13 Best Tips for Mulching

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Which Mulch Keeps Its Color Longest?

Most natural organic mulches turn gray in about a year, depending on the amount of sunlight that hits them. However, if you want more color to accent your plants and flowers, buy custom-colored organic mulches. They’re processed with vegetable dyes in several colors. Expect the color to last for two to three years.

Bright colors like red might run during a hard rain, but the color should wash off nearby walks. Colored mulches also tend to have finer textures, a characteristic that helps them mat together and stay in place on slopes. Ask for colored mulch at your local nursery.

Stone mulches also come in various colors, depending on the rock types available. The colors won’t fade, but lighter-colored rock may need periodic cleaning to keep it looking fresh.

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Calculating How Much Mulch You Need

Another one of our favorite tips for mulching requires a little simple math. You can easily calculate how much mulch you’ll need by multiplying the length and width of the garden bed (in feet) and dividing the result by three. This will give you the volume you need in cubic feet (cu. ft.) to cover a bed four inches deep. The volume of mulch in a bag will be printed on the label.

You’ll be surprised by how many bags you’ll need. A medium-size SUV can hold about a cubic yard (27 cu. ft.), or about 14 bags. When spread four inches deep, that much covers a bit more than a 7-ft. x 11-ft. rectangle. A big garden takes a lot. Consider delivery or bulk (dumped, not bagged) for large areas.

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