Mulch is a great material for making your landscaping more sustainable because it lowers the amount of water your plants need, while also eliminating the need for herbicides and improving soil health. However, a bag of mulch can be heavy, which not only means increased emissions from shipping but also more physical labor. If you’re putting much down yourself, it can be important to know how much a bag weighs. Mulch bag weights also vary by material, for example rock versus wood. In this article, we share the results of the weights of over 50 different bags of mulch.
HOW MUCH DOES A BAG OF MULCH WEIGH?
Wood mulch weighs an average of 34.9 pounds per bag, rubber mulch weighs an average of 31.5 pounds, rock mulch weighs an average of 43 pounds. Other types of much such as coconut weighs an average of 24 pounds. This is based on weights from over 50 bags of mulch.
Wood Mulch Weight
Wood mulch weighs an average of 34.9 pounds, based on 20 different bags analyzed. Wood mulch comes in a variety of bag sizes, ranging from 0.8 to 2 cubic feet. A 1 cubic foot bag analyzed weighed around 20 pounds and a 2 cubic foot bag weighed around 36 pounds. Since wood is absorbent, a bag of wood mulch could weigh as much as 45-50 pounds.
If concerns over weight of wood mulch are preventing you from using it, you can try waiting for a dry sunny day to reduce weight.
Wood much is commonly sold in black, red, and brown. We didn’t find a difference in weight based on color.
Wood mulch is a sustainable option because it doesn’t require much processing. However, it does require trees, which are not always sourced sustainably. It may also attract certain pests and require the use of pesticides. It could also require reapplying each year or so.
Rubber Mulch Weight
Rubber mulch weighs an average of 31.5 pounds, based on 14 different bags analyzed. Rubber mulch comes in a variety of bag sizes, ranging from 0.8 to 1.5 cubic feet. A 0.8 cubic foot bag analyzed weighed around 23 pounds and a 1.5 cubic foot bag weighed around 40 pounds. Rubber is not absorbent, so it doesn’t have the same issue with additional weight from moisture. Rubber is heavier though, so it typically comes in slightly smaller bags than wood mulch.
Rubber mulch also comes in a variety of colors, including black, red, green, and blue.
Rubber mulch could also be a sustainable option because it doesn’t require reapplication year after year. In fact, rubber mulch may last for a decade and often uses recycled materials. It doesn’t attract pests the way wood mulch can. However, rubber does not break down and can last in the environment for a long time where it can leak toxins into the soil and be accidentally consumed by wildlife.
Rock Mulch Weight
Rock mulch weighs an average of 48 pounds, based on 13 different bags analyzed. Since rock mulch is heavy, it mainly comes in smaller bag sizes such as 0.4 cubic feet or 0.5 cubic feet. A 0.4 cubic foot bag will weigh about 33 pounds, while a 0.5 cubic foot bag will weigh about 47 pounds. Rock is also not absorbent, so it won’t absorb moisture either.
Rock mulch may not be the best option if you are planning on having trees and plants in your beds. This is because they can retain heat and dry out the soil. Rocks are environmentally safe and will last a very long time, so they will should’nt need to be replaced frequently.
Other Mulch Weight
Other types of mulch mulch such as coconut and pine bark weighs an average of 24 pounds, based on the 4 different bags of mulch we analyzed. These types of mulch are less common and weigh less than more typical types of mulch. A common bag size is 2 cubic feet. Despite that these bags are on the larger end for a typical sized bag of mulch, they still weigh about 7.5 pounds less than the average bag of rubber mulch and about 11 pounds less than the average bag of wood mulch.
Like wood mulch, these types of mulch break down to provide nutrients to the soil, but need to be replaced each year or so.
