How Much Mulch Do I Need
Written by Brian B

How Much Mulch Do I Need?

It’s a question every individual eyeing a landscaping project has asked at one time or another: how much mulch do I need? It is certainly a simple question, but the answer is not so easy. There are many factors one must take into account before heading to a local supplier for mulch.

Mulch Uses

Mulch is a material composed of leaves, bark and/or compost used to cover soil. The purpose of using mulch isn’t just to make your yard more aesthetically pleasing. Mulch serves many purposes, including overall improvement of the environment. In your yard alone, mulch will be responsible for conserving moisture, reducing weed growth and improving organic matter within the soil. Ideally, mulch should be laid in the spring or fall seasons.

The spring time is perfect for helping break down organic materials, especially since springtime generally brings an abundance of rain. These materials will penetrate your soil, giving your garden a fresh, brown look for the months to come. Laying mulch in the fall has an opposite but beneficial effect, as well. The mulch will help insulate your garden for the upcoming harsh winter months. Either time is recommended for laying mulch, especially for private homeowners.

Where To Mulch

Mulch can be utilized seemingly everywhere on private or public property. From veggie gardens to perennial plants, there is no limit to how much mulch you can choose to use. Mulch can also be utilized as protection for tree trucks from numerous manual machines used for landscaping. Simply put, any place that you would like to lay mulch on your property is a good spot.

Mulch Calculator

This is the tricky part for most individuals. Measuring and/or calculating your exact mulching needs can be a tad confusing. It is recommended that your mulch have a depth of two-four inches, which should prevent weed growth as well as absorb nutrients for the soil bed below. But, keeping the mulch height to no more than four inches is essential – you never want an excess of mulch in your beds. Too much mulch equals a lack of air supply for plant roots.

Finely textured mulch should stay under three inches in depth, while coarse textures can reach up to four inches in depth. The first thing you must do when figuring out how much mulch is needed is to figure out the square footage of your bed. From there, multiply the width by the length for rectangular or square beds. Multiply the radius by itself, then multiply your total by 3.14 for round beds. Remember that mulch is sold by cubic yard, which is an inch deep for a 324-square-foot area.

Luckily enough, exact calculations for your specific mulch needs is available right here. This tool can help you figure out how much mulch you need for your bed type.

A & A Materials, Inc., located in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers native compost for your landscaping needs. Call us at 480-990-0557 for more information.

Arizona Landscaping Prices
Written by Brian B

Arizona Landscaping Prices

There is nothing better than a perfectly landscaped front and backyard. The lush greenery or vibrant colors of a desert setting can be enjoyed by all. Flowers, trees and cacti can provide numerous benefits; not just for homeowners, but for the environment as well. Grass alone can help cleanse the environment. Grass captures dust, absorbs water and cleanses the air, among several other duties. Overall, a beautiful landscape provides a calming influence in the air. So, why not get started on an ambitious landscaping project heading into the fall season? Here is a list of averages of some Arizona landscaping prices.

Landscape Rocks

  • Landscape stone: priced between $20-$100 per cubic yard, on average.
  • $0.75-$4 per cubic foot.
  • Arizona river rocks can be costly, running around $230 per yard.

Mulch

  • Economy mulch generally costs $2-$4 per bag.
  • Economy mulch can cost $15-$30 per cubic yard, if you prefer to measure it that way.
  • Colored or hardwood mulch can cost $30-$40 per yard.
  • That same type of mulch can run you between $3-$8 per bag.
  • Mulch delivery can cost between $40-$100.

Wood Chips

  • Wood chips are typically cheap, costing about $2 per bag.
  • Per yard, the average cost is $24 for wood chips.
  • Wood chips delivery can cost between $120-$250, depending on the amount of area covered.

Fill Sand

  • Fill sand runs at a price of $15-$50 per yard.
  • A bulk truck load delivery of sand, dirt or topsoil usually costs between $150-$600.

Boulders

  • Costs of landscaping boulders is between $100-$600 per ton.

Find more information about Arizona landscaping and landscaping materials by clicking here.

A&A Materials, Inc. specializes in decorative rock landscape materials in Scottsdale and surrounding areas, that make your property look its best year-round. Call us at 480-990-0557 with any questions or for more information.

How To Landscape Using Mulch
Written by Brian B

How To Landscape Using Mulch

Nothing could be simpler than laying mulch, right? Wrong. While it may seem as though all you have to do is grab a shovel and mulch away, there are some specific details that must be followed. Here is our best advice on how to landscape using mulch.

Purchasing Mulch

We’ll start with the easiest step first. Before heading to a local supplier, you must find out exactly how much mulch you need for your landscaping project. You don’t want to underestimate the amount needed, and overestimating will just result in an excess of mulch wasting away in storage. Figuring out the square footage of your bed is key, then you can easily decide how many bags or scoops of mulch you’ll need to buy.

Mulch Timing

How to lay down mulch can be a tricky question, but when to lay down mulch is much simpler. There are two times of the year that are suited best for this particular landscaping project. Spring is the ideal season to lay down mulch. This season provides a great amount of rain to help break down the organic materials found in mulch. These will then penetrate the soil and give your garden an aesthetically pleasing look heading into the spring. The fall season can prove beneficial for mulch as well. Laying mulch before the colder weather hits gives your plants an extra layer of insulation. No matter which season you choose to perform the mulching, make sure it follows a rainy period, so the newly laid mulch can help keep in the moisture.

How To Lay Mulch

Laying mulch can be performed in a simple, five-step process.

  • Clean your beds: Make sure to rake up leaves, sticks or any other debris before laying mulch.
  • Water the beds: If you decide to lay mulch after a particularly dry run of weather, then you should manually apply water to these beds. Mulch will be added to help seal in the moisture you just provided.
  • Weed removal: One of the biggest benefits of mulch is it stops weed growth dead in its tracks. Removing weeds ahead of laying mulch will only give you more of a head start.
  • Spreading: Spreading the mulch by hand is the recommended process here. Shaking your mulch into little piles from a wheelbarrow can help you control portion size. You’ll know you’ve laid enough mulch when the spread is two to four inches thick. Spreading it too thin could cause weeds to grow right through your layer of mulch.
  • Water, again: Watering your bed should be the first and last step. One final watering will truly help your mulch flourish.

Tools

You now know how to lay the mulch and when to lay the mulch, but which tools should you use when performing this task?

  • Shovel: The shovel is essential for putting mulch into the wheelbarrow and removing it.
  • Wheelbarrow: Much needed for transportation of the mulch.
  • Pitchfork: The pitchfork could be used in addition or in spite of the shovel.
  • Rake: After laying the mulch, make sure to evenly rake it across your bed.
  • Gloves: Gardening gloves are certainly recommended for this process. Remember, you will likely be laying the mulch by hand.

A & A Materials, Inc., located in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers native compost for your landscaping needs. Call us at 480-990-0557 for more information.