mulch Archives - The Lawn Review

March 29, 2023March 15, 2024

10 Tips for Mulching This Spring: 2024 Update

Mulching in the Spring is one of the single best things you can do for your lawn. If you don’t mulch your garden beds, you’ve got issues: weeds, decay, dead leaves, and overall poor lawn aesthetics.

I’ve been mulching in the spring for years and, truthfully, I only ever did it as a chore when I was a kid or to help out my mom when I was in college. I didn’t respect how beneficial mulch is for my garden beds and my lawn.

Now that I’m an adult (still a kid at heart 🙂 ), I’ve come to understand the value of mulching in the spring, before the heat comes in with the summer months.

And P.S. If you prefer video, I made a Youtube video walking you through the entire process, which you can find here: STOP Letting Your Lawn DOWN! [DO THIS]

3 Benefits of Mulching in the Spring

One of the main benefits is making your yard absolutely pop with color. The contrast between the dark mulch against your green grass, vibrant flowers, and masonry of your home gives it that zing that neighbors can’t really put their finger on, but they know you have a lawn that’s a step above everyone else. It’s subtle, but a big difference.

Another major benefit is the insulation effect from mulching. Springtime is a very dynamic and volatile time of year when it comes to weather and temperature. My born and raised southern accented momma told me that, “Spring comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.” Meaning in the first half of Spring, you have a hot week, then a cold week, then a bunch of rain and its humid and then it’s dry and on and on it goes. It’s all over the place. By the time you get towards the back half of spring, it’s calmed down and a little more predictable.”

With all that volatility, your plant’s root systems can get damaged or not develop well if they aren’t shielded properly. Mulch provides the insulation needed to protect your plants so they can develop strong roots and absorb water and nutrients all throughout the year.

Lastly, as long as you’re not using the rubber mulch or rock, and you’re preferably using shredded, hardwood mulch, the organic material from the mulch will break down and provide nutrients to the soil. If you’ve ever driven up to a mulch yard in the morning, you can see massive amounts of steam rising from the mulch piles. When the organic material breaks down, it produces heat, which is the steam you’re seeing. This effect provides both heat for the night to protect the roots and nutrients to help the soil grow your plants.

10 Key Tips for Mulching in the Spring

I created this guide to help walk through all the tips that I’ve learned over the year mulching my garden beds dozens of times.

Tip #1: Get shredded, hardwood mulch from a mulch yard.

Or smaller bags from Lowe’s or Home Depot’s mulch selection. Try to avoid the rubber mulch or the kind that is just dyed. Usually they are only a quick fix and they lose a lot of the benefit and color within a 1-3 weeks of laying it down. Plus, sometimes the bags of mulch of those knock off types can be a little suspect.

As a bonus tip, if you don’t know how much mulch to get, here’s an equation. Measure the length & width of your beds in feet, multiply those together, then divide by 81. That number will be how many “yards” of mulch you need to cover your bed.

Tip #2: Mark your plants before setting down mulch

Before you start, mark your plants with little orange flags. Do this so you don’t end up dumping loads of mulch on your plants that are trying to grow up in the spring and end up suffocating them. If you ever watch some of these landscaping companies that look more like a NASCAR pit crew, they’re flying through the job when applying mulch. But if you look closely, a lot of times they’re just dumping wheelbarrows full of mulch onto budding plants and end up killing them. Don’t be a flower murderer. Be a tree hugger.

Tip #3: Edge your yard & beds before mulching

Giving all your beds a clean and crisp edge will help contain the mulch, but give it the extra pop that’s intended with our mulch beds in the first place. My favorite tool the EGO Power+ MHC1502 Multi Combo Kit: 15 String Trimmer, 8-Inch Edger & Power Head.

As a shameless plug, I load it up with The Lawn Review brand weed eater string.

Tip #4: Use Preen to kill and prevent weeds

Prevent weeds from popping through the mulch. This stuff is great, it’s weed control specifically for garden beds that keeps your bushes and flowers alive while getting rid of unwanted clovers, dandelions, and other weeds. I like to use it before I lay down the mulch so it has a better chance of getting down to the weeds roots and getting rid of them before they become a bigger problem. I typically do this once every six months, being in the Spring and Fall.

Me using preen in my garden bed BEFORE mulching.

Tip #5: Make a crown, not a mountain

When mulching around plants, trees, & bushes – if you make a mountain with your mulch, meaning it just piles up to your plants, you will cause water to run away from your plants and deprive them of water. Use your hand to create a bowl or a crown, where the water will sit in the bowl and drain directly downward and into the root system.

Tip #6: Don’t overdo it.

If you’re creating a new mulch bed, sure, put down 3-4 inches of mulch to get started. That’s not necessary on existing beds. That would be incredibly expensive, time consuming, and potentially hurt your plants. The plants need oxygen, and if you keep laying it on thick year over year, your plant’s roots won’t be able to get the oxygen they need. Existing beds should only need a fresh ~1 inch layer to do the trick. Use your judgment on this one.

Tip #7: Pull weeds before you put down mulch

You don’t need to get every weed, but get the vast majority of them. You don’t want thick weeds and things popping up through your mulch. So get a clean canvas, pull the weeds, pick up any debris, big sticks, etc. before you get going.

Get rid of these BEFORE putting down mulch.

Tip #8: Load your wheelbarrow of mulch over a tarp

This makes cleaning up a breeze. After mulching all day, you probably don’t want to spend a ton of time just cleaning up a drive covered in dirt. Load over a tarp and you can easily dump the tarp into your beds.

Tip #9: Don’t tread over the same turf when towing mulch

Even if it means taking the long route to where you’re going to apply mulch, you don’t want to walk over the same grass over and over and risk killing the grass when you use your wheelbarrow.

Tip #10: Work back to front with mulch

If you lay down mulch in the font, you’re then going to have to push the wheelbarrow or walk over the freshly laid mulch to dump it. Since it hasn’t had time to set, it can be harder to push over that. Plus, you don’t want to tread over your fresh layer. So go all the way to the back, dump it there, then work your way to the front.

Working back to front saves a lot of time and trouble.

Time to get mulching

There you go, 10 Tips for Mulching in the Spring. And hey, I threw in 3 benefits for you as a bonus… because I’m incredibly generous (and humble) like that.

I hope these tips help you cut down on costs, save some time in the yard, and most importantly, give you that curb appeal you desire.

If you want more tips, tricks, tool reviews, DIY guides, etc., make sure to subscribe to our Youtube Channel where you’ll get our latest content.

Til’ next time!

Why we created The Lawn Review

The reason we started the Lawn Review in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And they aren’t cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something.

There’s tons of great resources out there for people who really like to nerd out on lawn care and get into the fine details and science behind lawn care. If that’s your jam, guys like Ryan Norr and Lawn Care Nut will be right up your alley.

As for me and most readers of this blog, we don’t need to know how the sausage is made. Just tell me which sausage (er.. Lawn tools) is best & how to use the sausage… (that’s what she said…? Idk, there’s an explicit joke in there somewhere)

November 4, 2022March 15, 2024

Ultimate Rubber Mulch Buying Guide: 2024 Update

Rubber mulch is one of those weird things in the landscaping industry that makes a lot of people suspicious. Why use rubber mulch when there is an abundance of wooden mulch?

Bottom line on Rubber Mulch: Rubber mulch has quite a few benefits, but really is optimal for only a handful of scenarios.

Today, I am going to walk you through what the heck rubber mulch is, when to use it, where to get it, and more.

But before we get started, let’s be clear – rubber mulch isn’t for everyone. In fact, most homeowners aren’t even aware of its existence. Buckle up, because you’re about to have your mind blown.

Jump ahead:

Rubber mulch vs wood mulch
Benefits of rubber mulch
Rubber mulch problems
Using rubber mulch on playgrounds
Where to buy

Rubber mulch vs wood mulch

Rubber mulch and wood mulch are both used for similar purposes. Beyond the aesthetics, mulch has a number of meaningful functions that provide a safe environment for plant growth..

Let’s check it out.

Similarities between rubber and wood mulch

Below are some similarities between rubber mulch and wood mulch:

Aesthetics: from a distance, rubber mulch looks just as good as a fresh mulching with wood-based mulch.
Weed control: although this remains a subject of contention, both rubber and wood mulch provide protection against weeds. Many folks argue that it requires a lot of rubber mulch to fully choke out the weeds, but so does wood mulch. It probably just “feels” like more mulch since it spreads so differently.
Temperature regulation: rubber mulch retains heat decently well and can provide a decent level of protection, as does traditional wood mulch.
Durability to soil: both wood and rubber mulch provide a level of durability to wherever they are laid. This helps prevent soil runoff, is more forgiving when people or animals walk through it.

Differences between rubber and wood mulch

While they look the same and provide many of the same benefits, there are definitely differences between a synthetic and an organic substance. Let’s take a look:

Water retention: rubber mulch may provide some benefit to water retention, but only marginally when compared to wood mulch. The density of wood mulch allows it to act like a sponge for water.
Decomposition: wood mulch breaks down over time and provides nutrients to the soil, allowing it to benefit from the mulch. Rubber mulch breaks down over 50 to 80 years and provides no nutrients to your soil.
Replacement frequency: wood mulch needs to be replaced every 1-3 years due to its decomposition. Rubber mulch can last for 10 years (or more).
Price: Wood mulch is pretty cost efficient and can be picked up in bulk or in bags. Lowe’s has 5 bags of mulch for $10 on sale every year and Home Depot also has a mulch sale where you can get mulch for a great deal.

Does Rubber Mulch smell?

Remember the days in gym class when they would take everyone out to the track and make you run a few laps? The running wasn’t the tough part, it was the smell.

Some people like it – but mostly due to the nostalgia of running track or playing on a turf football field. But if you expect to have a rubber mulch yard, you will definitely get whiffs of rubber.

Heat can definitely make the smell a little more potent, but it truly isn’t a super noticeable smell.

AND regular mulch has a smell as well – so there isn’t a totally smell-free choice.

How long does rubber mulch really last?

Most folks say that rubber mulch will last over 10 years. While most wood mulches fade in color and decompose, rubber mulch keeps its color and doesn’t break down. Additionally, the maintenance is minimal – only requiring occasional raking.

What is rubber mulch made of?

Believe it or not, rubber mulch is made of recycled tires. Yep, they take all the old tires from cars, trucks, farming equipment, and construction equipment then shred it down to a consistent size.

It then gets dyed with whichever color you choose, bagged, and shipped to whichever place you grab it.

What are the benefits of rubber mulch?

Rubber mulch has a bunch of benefits that make it popular at upscale resorts, playgrounds, and other commercial properties.

Prohibits weed and fungal growth: part of the reason people pick rubber mulch is that it doesn’t store water or contain nutrients the way that rubber mulch does. This means that fungus is not going to grow in this soil.
Keeps insects and mice away: again having an artificial environment makes it an unattractive place for insects or mice to get their food. Keep pests away from your house with rubber mulch.
It’s super low maintenance: weeds don’t grow in it either because they can’t germinate in the soil below if they never make it. That means weeding is super rare and you only have to give it the occasional rake to keep the sun-exposed pieces mixed in with the others. Oh yeah – and you only have to change it every DECADE.

So what are the problems with rubber mulch?

Sounds too good to be true? Well, it can be. There are definitely some drawbacks. For starters, rubber mulch doesn’t have as much of the “smothering” effect that wood mulch has. With wood mulch, you can use it to crush and kill weeds. With rubber mulch, you’ll really want to clear the weeds beneath and do what you can to keep them dead. Once the rubber mulch is down however, you shouldn’t have problems.

Ever heard of a tire fire? Well, rubber mulch is flammable just like rubber tires. Which is an absolute nightmare. I’ve never heard of this happening personally, but it is definitely a possibility.

Lastly, rubber can leach chemicals into the soil and surrounding environment. Recycled tires tend to soak up other chemicals they get exposed to during their lifetime. If the tires that are now in your garden were exposed to high levels of zinc or other minerals – they can leach into the soil and kill some plants. During the rubber breakdown process, there are other chemicals that can accumulate and leach into the soil as well. At high concentrations, these have been found to be harmful.

Rubber mulch for playgrounds

Nothing like a transition from the dangers of rubber mulch to its applications in children’s playgrounds! Nevertheless, rubber mulch can have great applications in playgrounds. I say this because it does such a good job of absorbing falls.

Although rubber mulch can have a tough texture and not necessarily feel good to fall on to, it gives much more bounce to kids when they fall down. Another beauty to rubber mulch for playgrounds is that you don’t get the natural erosion that you see with wooden mulch playgrounds. You know the areas under the swings that form holes and fill with water? Rubber mulch really won’t do that.

Lastly, rubber mulch on playgrounds is way less messy. That means you can save a bit on laundry by letting your kids have a blast in their playground without becoming completely covered in mud.

Where to buy rubber mulch near you

Both your local Home Depot and Lowe’s sell bagged rubber mulch. Rubber mulch is much more expensive than traditional wood mulch, with costs being nearly 3-4x higher per cubic foot.

For example, you can grab this rubber mulch at Home Depot for not an insane price.

Photo cred: Home depot. They sell bagged rubber mulch!

As a reminder, you have to replace rubber mulch every 10-12 years, so you will definitely save money in the long run.

If you’re looking to buy bulk rubber mulch for a larger area, there are places like RMP USA and Mulch Direct that can ship large quantities directly to you for cheaper than bagged mulch.

Installing rubber mulch

Installing rubber mulch is actually a breeze! I’ll make it super easy and go step-by-step.

Clear the area you’d like to apply mulch. I recommend laying down weed killer a week or so in advance, then completely tilling the soil. Once it is tilled, rake it to be completely flat. We basically want this area to be dead….forever.
Once you have a flat, dead area of land – measure it out to understand exactly how much rubber mulch you need. For most gardeners, 1-2 inches deep is all you will need. If it’s a playground, I would go a little deeper just to give your kids some buffer.
Calculate how much rubber mulch you need and go grab it from your store of choice.
Over the area where you’d like to lay down the rubber mulch, lay down some landscaping fabric. You can get it for a really cheap price on Amazon.
Once the fabric is down, you may want to secure the perimeter with some landscape edges. Some people use bricks, but you can also grab some nice edges for the exterior. I personally use this one that I got on Amazon and installed in like 5 minutes.
Then, simply load in all the mulch and rake it to a nice, level surface.
Go inside and pat yourself on the back!

Simple landscaping edging. Photo cred: Amazon

It really is that simple and will make you feel so accomplished.

Final thoughts on a rubber garden

Rubber mulch is great for many people, but not for everyone. Make sure you understand the downsides to using rubber mulch before diving in head-first and making the investment. If you aren’t totally sold, start with a small area or even a potted artificial plant to see if it smells or if you like the way it looks.

If you’re looking for the best time of year to put down mulch, check out our tips.

Why we started this site

We started The Lawn Review out of frustration. We couldn’t find clarity around what type of products were actually good and reliable. All the fertilizers we tried didn’t work. We ended up with a dying lawn, wasted time, and wasted money.

So we started buying and reviewing lawn tools and figuring out which ones were the best. And now we’ve moved onto actually keeping that lawn looking nice all year around.

We’ve spent thousands of hours building this content for people just like you and me – normal people.

October 27, 2022March 15, 2024

Easily Transform Your Lawn With Mulch: 2024 Guide

Putting down mulch is a must-have for any nice looking yard. A fresh set of mulch is the ultimate game changer for curb appeal – the instant “pop” that sets your yard apart.

And it’s easy, right? You just grab a couple bags and throw them on.

But how many bags? How much mulch? How often do you mulch? When is the best time to mulch? Do you remove the old mulch? Do you have to prepare the ground for mulch? Do you water mulch?!

Don’t let it overwhelm you! Mulching can be super therapeutic and you really can’t beat the results.

So let’s get started!

What is mulch?

Mulch is mostly made of bark or shredded wood. Some of the most common types of mulch are made from shredded Cyprus or other hardwoods. Other inexpensive brands are a blend of random woods, which can sometimes look like dyed shredded plywood.

A common bagged mulch sold at Home Depot.

Mulch goes on top of existing soil as a protective layer to help insulate the soil. Mulch has a ton of benefits, including:

Inhibits weed growth
Retains water better than soil alone
It helps nourish soil as it decomposes
It helps regulate temperature
Mulch adds a level of durability to your soil, whether it be heavy rain, footsteps, or animals

How often to put down mulch

Mulch should be replaced no more than once per year.

If you live in an area with heavy rainfall or snow, you may have to replace mulch yearly. For others that don’t get as much exposure to elements, your mulch may last a lot longer – even 3-4 years in some places.

If your mulch looks like this…time to reset it!

You will know if you need to replace your mulch if it has caked together into clumps or developed a white fungus. You may also notice that your mulch needs to be replaced if it has lost some color or faded.

I replace my mulch in my front yard every year. It is black and gets full sun for most of the day. It takes a beating and fades from black to charcoal-grayish colored. Needless to say, I like having a nice black mulch that contrasts against our lighter-colored brick and grass.

In my backyard, I replace the mulch every other year. It is a really large area that is mostly shaded and we use brown mulch. It holds its color really well, and we only replace it because it mostly gets washed away after two years.

Best time of year to put mulch down

Hands down, the best time to put mulch down is in the spring.

Spring is when everything starts to bloom again which means two things:

Weeds are also going to bloom
Your yard needs to look its best

Mulch will help solve both of these issues. It is also when mulch goes on sale at Lowe’s for a great price, 5 for $10.

This is from Home Depot’s mulch sale, which happened at the end of April last year.

How to prepare your garden for putting mulch down

The easiest way to prepare to put down mulch is to keep one basic framework in mind – you want to put it down over dirt. Obviously, you still want it to wrap around bushes and plants, but essentially you want it to go down with nothing underneath but dirt.

A tiller like this can help dig up the soil.

So to prepare your garden bed for mulch, make sure to clear out any grass and weeds. I do this in two ways: I use a weed killer spray like RoundUp to get rid of the weeds and then use a nice tiller to get any grass or dead weeds up.

Lastly, I’ll do a quick rake and flatten the area. Nothing else is required.

I’ve heard stories about people putting down newspapers or tarps or other things and I don’t think it’s necessary.

Remember:

Remove grass and weeds (use weed killer if needed two weeks in advance)
Till up the earth
Rake the debris away
Flatten it out with a rake

Best places to get mulch in 2024

The easiest place to get mulch is to go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and grab bags of mulch. You’ll likely have to make several trips if you have a smaller car.

Every year, Lowe’s has a 5 for $10 mulch sale and Home Depot has its own 5 for $10 mulch sale that can happen at random, but generally around the same time.

If you have a truck or trailer, you can also go to a nursery or landscaping supply center and pick up bulk mulch, which tends to be a bit cheaper. I’ve done both and found that bags were an overall easier experience, whereas the bulk mulch seemed “fresher” and higher quality.

Some nurseries will even deliver the mulch to your home – but if you’re doing this you might as well just spend a little bit more money and have a landscaping company do the whole thing.

How much mulch to buy

There are a few scientific ways to measure the area of your yard that can give you a precise answer, but this is more of an art than a science. Some areas may require a bit more than the standard 2 inch depth, others may require less. Basically, it won’t be perfectly evenly distributed no matter how hard you try.

But that’s okay! We can get as close as possible with a few guesstimates + 1, as I call it. The measurements of mulch bags are in cubic feet, so you want to basically divide by the number of inches to get an estimate.

It’s confusing, so think of it like this: multiply the dimensions of your area in feet to get square footage. If you are buying 2 cubic ft bags, then divide that by 12 to get the number of bags. If you are using 3 cubic ft bags, then divide by 18.

I always add an additional on top of that calculation for a margin of error. Worst case scenario, you’ve got an extra bag to cover up spots if an animal digs or rain washes away some of the mulch.

Laying down bagged mulch: tips and tricks

Okay – we have cleared the area and flattened it to our liking. We’ve picked up some mulch and we are ready to spread it. Where do we start?

If you’re buying bagged mulch, I recommend putting on some gloves and hauling each bag around to the garden bed and setting it down in the general vicinity of where you want the mulch to go.

It will look odd to have a bunch of bags laying around, but it gives you a game plan for spacing the mulch bags out appropriately instead of going too heavy at the beginning and having to backtrack.

Once you have the mulch laid out, go by each bag with a box cutter and cut it right down the middle, long ways.

After it is cut, simply roll it over and smooth it out by hand. Once you’ve done this to all of your bags, take a light raking to the top and make sure it is all level. Fill in any gaps with the extra mulch bag I told you to buy!

If you are mulching around a tree, you can use the backside of the rake or a pitchfork to leave a little “bowl” shape near the base of the stump. This enables easier water retention for the tree and is a nice little design.

In summary:

Lay out the bags evenly in the general vicinity of where the mulch will go
Slice open the bags and turn them over
Smooth them by hand
Give a gentle rake to the top to level out
Fill in any gaps

Laying down bulk mulch: tips and tricks

Laying down bulk mulch is pretty similar to bagged mulch, but you have to do a bit more work. This past year was my first time using bulk mulch and it was quite the workout.

After picking up the mulch in my truck, I then brought it home and started loading up a wheelbarrow. I then took the wheelbarrow and dumped it out in spots I thought would be equidistant for spreading the mulch around.

It took probably 20 trips with the wheelbarrow, but I got it done. My wonderful wife was the spreader, going behind each wheelbarrow-dropped mulch mound and spreading it around by hand. At the end we had a ton of mulch left over (enough to fill a garbage can, which we kept) and then raked the mulch to be completely even throughout.

Here’s the high-level recipe:

Unload the bulk mulch with a pitchfork or shovel into a wheelbarrow
Wheel the mulch to specific spots in the garden and dump it there
Make sure to evenly space out each mound that you dump
Level it by hand
Then level it with a rake

Common questions we get about mulch

Believe it or not, we get a lot of questions about mulch. We started compiling some of the most common and have answered them below:

Do you need to water mulch after putting it down?

Some people suggest watering mulch after putting it down can “settle it”, but I have found that it just speeds up the color deterioration with each watering. I leave mine alone.

How thick do you need to lay down mulch?

Mulch should be around 2 inches thick when laid down.

Do I need to remove old mulch?

You don’t HAVE to remove old mulch, but you’ll find that after about 10 years of laying mulch down in the same spot that you have created a big mound.

It’s a good idea to remove the mulch every 5 years or so to start fresh and level the ground out again.

How much does mulch cost?

It depends. If you get mulch in bulk, you can get it for about $1/cubic ft. If you get mulch in bags, you can get it for about the same price, but only when mulch is on sale at Lowe’s or Home Depot has a mulch sale. The rest of the year it is usually between $1.50 and $2.

Do you have to put something down under mulch?

Some folks will lay down a plastic sheet or tarp underneath the mulch to prevent weed growth further, but I’ve never had much success with these. They have been more trouble than they are worth.

What do you use to spread mulch?

I use my hand for the initial spread, then finish it off with a light rake at the end.

How much do landscapers charge to put down mulch?

It depends, but on top of the cost of the mulch it will generally be about $150-200. All in you’re looking at $300-500 depending on the size of the job.

How often should I put down mulch?

Put down mulch yearly if you live in an area with a lot of rain or direct sun, otherwise every other year will work well.

Why we write about mulch

So we started buying and reviewing lawn tools and figuring out which ones were the best. And now we’ve moved onto actually keeping that lawn looking nice all year around.

We’ve spent thousands of hours building this content for people just like you and me – normal people.

April 1, 2022March 19, 2024

Mulch Sale at Home Depot: 2024 Sale Dates (5 for $10)

The Mulch sale at Home Depot is the best time of year to go pick up some bagged mulch. They have massive racks of mulch all over the place in their garden facility, plus an entire parking lot out front with pallets full of mulch.

When is Home Depot’s Mulch Sale in 2024? 5 for $10?

The Vigoro Mulch Sale usually happens on Easter Sunday weekend. I think we will get another sale on or around Easter from Home Depot in 2024, which is March 31st, 2024. This is one of the best times to grab Mulch – the Spring.

My favorite thing to do is place an online order for pick-up, then avoid having to go in and pay. Way easier that way.

There is also an EarthGro mulch sale that happens around the first of May every year – wait for 5/1/2024 for this mulch sale at Home Depot.

What about the 4th of July Mulch Sale at Home Depot?

There will likely be a Home Depot Mulch Sale on July 4th and again on Labor Day in 2024.

The July 4th Mulch Sale at Home Depot is for Vigoro Mulch and is $.60 off per bag, leaving them at about $2.98 per bag.

The Mulch Sale at Home Depot varies, but often has 5 bags of mulch for $10.

Interested in Lowe’s mulch sale? Check out our Lowe’s mulch guide.

Which Mulch to buy at Home Depot

Why so many different types of mulch?

Which one should I get?

All that and more is explained below.

Mulch 101
Vigoro mulch at Home Depot
EarthGro mulch at Home Depot
Garden Logic mulch at Home Depot
Home Depot mulch sale dates 2024
How much mulch?

Mulch 101: Know before you Depot, Home Depot

In its most basic form, mulch is just anything you spread over the top of soil. It can be organic or synthetic matter, both can serve the same and different purposes. Some of the main reasons for applying is to spruce up the landscape, retain soil moisture, maintain and improve soil health and reduce weeds. There’s not much better than a freshly mulched landscape in my opinion.

As mentioned earlier it can be organic or synthetic, though most people tend to go the organic route. Organic material usually comes in the form of shredded hardwood of some sort along with some manure, compost blend, and grass clippings. Inorganic can be rubber, plastic or some other weird thing the scientists have come up with this year.

If you’re looking for a great guide for how to lay down mulch, check out this article.

For the purposes of this article, I’m not going to go over every possible mulch composition but will stick to the heavy hitters found at most Home Depot’s around the country.

Home Depot Mulch Buying Guide

Home Depot really only has a few specific brands of Mulch. Vigoro and EarthGro are darn near universal at Home Depot, so I will start with those, but my store carries Garden Logic so I will cover that, too.

Vigoro Mulch reputation

Vigoro mulch is a do-it-all mulch that does its job. Basically, Vigoro comes in all different colors and even has a rubber form.

But let’s start with their shredded mulch. Most of you are here because you are buying a shredded mulch because that’s what normal people do.

Shredded mulch that comes in a bag is inexpensive and primarily serves to cover soil and prevent weed growth.

When it comes to picking a color, do what matches your home the best.

EarthGro Mulch reputation

EarthGro is a Scotts product, which means they mean business in the lawn care game.

I personally use EarthGro’s brown shredded mulch for my backyard and the black shredded mulch for my front yard (because I like to party).

I chose EarthGro because I trust Scotts quality, the mulch is local (they pull it from in-state mulch providers), and because it was almost the same price as Vigoro.

Check out our Scotts Turf Builder review here.

Garden Logic mulch reputation

Garden Logic is a newer brand of mulch that I haven’t seen at Home Depot until now. They have different mulch blends depending on the type of wood.

They don’t seem to offer colored mulch at my Home Depot, but they do have all natural materials and you can select the type of mulch you want by the tree.

If you are a gardening nerd, this is probably something you love.

I am a cheapo who just wants it to look okay, so I go with EarthGro :).

Vigoro 2 cu. Ft. Bagger Premium Brown, Black, and Red Wood Mulch at Home Depot

Vigoro mulch describes themselves as a 100% premium wood mulch. A benefit to this mulch is that it comes with a 12-month color guarantee, so you can rest assured that your lawn will continue to have its curb appeal for a year.

You can get this mulch in red, black or brown.

One benefit to Vigoro mulch is that it comes in 2 cu. Ft bags, making it the larger of the two between Vigoro and EarthGro.

Vigoro Premium Red Mulch

I typically see red mulch in commercial properties like outside of restaurants, shopping centers, parks, or alongside roads. For this reason, I don’t like to use red at my house.

For some people, red makes a lot of sense.

Vigoro Premium Black Mulch

I like black mulch because it ties the front of a house together very well. It generally more closely matches the soil, and can add a contrast to any garden bed. For me, this makes our shrubbery and flowers at the front of our house and by our mailbox pop.

Vigoro Premium Brown Mulch

Brown mulch is also great for houses that have non-brick color. For example, a light blue or white wood-paneled house can look really good with brown mulch.

I use brown mulch in my backyard because it fits in well with our deck coloring.

Vigoro premium mulch cost

At its base price, Vigoro mulch is about $3.67 per bag, or $1.33 per cubic foot.

Mulch does go on sale at Home Depot during a certain time of year, which I will get to later.

EarthGro Brown, Black and Red mulch at Home Depot

Again, I use Earthgro at home because they are locally made, albeit a little bit more expensive than Vigoro.

One thing I like about Earthgro and their black and brown mulch is that they don’t have any construction debris, the bags never seem to break, and they also come with a 12-month color advantage.

Earthgro Brown Mulch

Earthgro’s brown mulch is definitely a deep shade of brown. The shredded mulch offering they have fits in well to my backyard, as about a third of our backyard is just mulch.

Since I have a brownish-reddish deck color, the brown compliments the color. The black mulch would contrast too sharply.

I buy between 30-40 of these bags each year to spread in my backyard and it always seems to do well despite my crazy dog’s efforts to trample around in it.

Earthgro black mulch

The black mulch works great in my front yard because we have a lighter colored brick house. We also have a rolled brick walkway that leads to our front door. Because of this brick combination, I wanted a mulch that would contrast deeply with the lighter pink color of the brick.

Black mulch does a great job of contrasting our bushes and flowers with the rest of the house, making them stand out to passers by.

We re-mulch our front yard every 18 months or so with Earthgro, so I think their 12 month color advantage can take you further than you imagine.

EarthGro red mulch

I don’t have much experience with Earthgro’s red mulch, namely because I try to avoid red mulch in residential properties.

A lot of folks use red mulch around their home and love it. I am just not one of those people and don’t live in one of those climates.

Earthgro mulch cost at Home Depot

Earthgro bags cost the same as Vigoro bags, at about $3.67 per bag. Earthgro does only come in a 1.5ft bag, so the price per cubic foot goes up to $2.44 per cubic foot.

Vigoro Bagged Recycled Rubber Mulch

Vigoro also offers recycled rubber mulch in two colors: brown and red.

Now I know what you’re thinking, rubber mulch? But it does have its benefits.

Rubber mulch has the same weed-preventing benefits as regular shredded mulch, but it does not attract any bugs like ants or termites.

Unlike traditional wooden products, Vigoro rubber mulch does not decay and can actually reduce the risk of allergies as well.

Rubber mulch goes great in places like playgrounds, swingsets, or other outdoor play places for kids, too.

My favorite part, you don’t have to mulch annually.

Rubber mulch comes in smaller bag, is much more expensive, but only requires one initial upfront investment to cover you for 12 years.

Vigoro rubber mulch cost at Home Depot

Vigoro rubber mulch comes in 0.8 cubic ft bags, costing $6.97 per bag. This comes to just over $8.71 per bag. Wow. It seems like a big investment, but you actually can save money over the course of a few years by not having to replace mulch annually.

Garden Logic and Gardener’s Pride Mulch at Home Depot

Garden Logic and Gardener’s Pride appear to be the same brand, but I have never seen them before so its hard to say.

They have the same design on the package, but different names depending on the type of mulch.

Nevertheless, they have some good stuff – and it’s cheap!

Let’s review.

Garden Logic Pine Bark mini nuggets

Garden Logic’s Pine Bark mini nuggets are great for smaller areas, like a little garden bed. They tend to be lighter and more airy. These also work well for indoor plants and outdoor potted plants.

Because they are light and airy, they don’t do as great of a job with weed control or locking in moisture, but tend to rot much less.

These are very aesthetically pleasing, but in larger beds can wash out pretty quickly because of their size.

2 cubic foot bags of these are selling for about $3.47 or $1.75 per foot.

Garden Logic or Gardener’s Pride Hardwood Mulch

The Garden Logic Hardwood mulch is a typical shredded mulch blend, identical to what you would find in a Vigoro or EarthGro bag of mulch.

This is your standard bag of mulch that contains a mixture of wood and usually some sort of dye to give it a rich, brown color.

This will spread easily and is great for larger yards or garden beds.

At $3.67 per 2 cubic foot bag, it is pound-for-pound identical to Vigoro mulch.

Garden Logic or Gardener’s Pride Cypress Mulch Blend

Cypress blends are interesting to me because I don’t see them around where I live. But they do have a lot of benefits, namely their natural tendencies.

Cypress blends are pure shredded cypress wood and typically come without any coloring added. They can appear bland in some contexts.

If you’ve ever gone through a nature trail or any outdoor path, these are typically covered in this type of mulch. It is much cheaper and gets the job done, though without the deep coloring.

At $2.97 per 2 cubic foot bag, these will only cost about $1.49 per cubic foot – making them one of the most affordable mulches on the market.

How much mulch do I need?

Check out this mulch calculator for more info.

November 30, 2021March 15, 2024

Lowes Mulch Sale: 5 for $10 Sale Dates in 2024

Mulch at Lowes can be an overwhelming sight. Heck, they’ve got more options than Wall Street on their racks. Seriously, my wife and I went a few weekends ago and I was shocked at the amount of choices they had.

Lowes Mulch Sale Dates in 2024 (5 for $10)

The Lowes mulch sale is when bags of mulch go on sale, usually 5 bags of mulch for $10. This is your time to buy a ton of mulch online, pull your car up, and have someone load all the mulch you need this year for a well discounted price.

You can easily order the mulch online, then swing by Lowes to pick it up.

When is the Lowes 5 for $10 mulch sale in 2024?

The Lowe’s Mulch sale should start on March 31st, 2024 which is Easter weekend. For the past three years, the Lowe’s Mulch 5 for $10 sale has started on Easter weekend.

Lowe’s also has a 5 for $10 sale every year again during Memorial Day weekend (May 27th, 2024), then July 4th and Labor Day.

Wanna check out Home Depot’s mulch sale? Follow this link for the Home Depot Mulch Sale guide.

How to find the right Mulch at Lowe’s

Let’s cut through some of the chaos and help you pick the mulch that is right for you.

Mulch 101
Rubber mulch?
Preen Mulch
JET BLACK mulch at Lowe’s
Premium Mulch
The Evergreen natural series
Oldcastle Mulch at Lowe’s
Scott’s NatureScapes
How much mulch do I need?
Lowe’s Mulch Sale 2024: 5 for $10

Mulch 101: What to know before you go to Lowe(s)

For the purposes of this article, I’m not going to go over every possible mulch composition but will stick to the heavy hitters found at most of your local Lowe’s.

Before you start mulching, make sure you have a good understanding of exactly how to mulch your garden beds.

Rubber mulch: Wait, what?

We don’t know, but people who hate mulching every year love it. Is it good for the environment? Probably not. Is it good for your Sundays? Probably.

NuScape Rubber Mulch Nuggets

As the name suggests, NuScape Brown Rubber Mulch Nuggets are shredded or chopped 100% recycled rubber. This is great for commercial landscaping, playgrounds or schools that don’t want to have to deal with the mess and hassle of remulching every year.

According to NuScape, this product is fade resistant for up to 12 years (with a warranty!). Reviews on Lowe’s website vary on the validity of that but somewhere in the 8 to 12 range is a safe bet. Another “pro” of this mulch is that it won’t attract bugs that can be damaging to existing landscapes.

A major con to rubber mulch is that it won’t provide the soil enriching properties that organic mulch provides. If you don’t care about that then this is a great product and comes highly recommended on Amazon and Lowes.

At $6.98 per 0.8 cubic feet bag ($8.73/cu ft) this is way more expensive than regular mulch in the short term but provides savings in about 2 years due to not having to re-mulch.

Up close and personal with the smaller bag of mulch.

Preen Mulch at Lowes

Preen mulch offers a variety of colors and is one of the higher-end mulches available. Check out their mulch with weed preventer below.

Preen Mulch with Extended Control Weed Preventer

Preen is one of my favorite products to apply to my garden/landscape. It saves me hours (perhaps days) of weeding time come spring and summer. That stuff works. It won’t kill existing weeds but it does prevent seeds from germinating so it takes a few years for it really to start kicking in.

When I saw Preen made a mulch with herbicide included, I was so pumped. Had I known this product existed when I mulched this past year I would’ve definitely used it. (Maybe not red though.) It comes in russet red, chestnut brown and midnight black. All the colors come with a 12 month guarantee.

I prefer chestnut brown around my house, but often see folks with Midnight Black as their color of choice in their garden. Russet red is typically used more with commercial properties like schools and restaurants.

This product will run you about $4.98 per 2 cubic feet ($2.49/cu ft) so it’s pricey but the convenience of it being in bags and with Preen included makes this very enticing.

Russet Red sounds sophisticated, but I prefer chestnut brown.

JET BLACK mulch

The JET BLACK mulch really wants you to know what color it is. Let’s review what there is to like (or dislike…) about this mulch at Lowe’s

JET BLACK Black Hardwood Mulch

A bang for your buck offering from Jet Black, this black hardwood mulch is what it is. Not super high quality stuff but it’ll get the job done (at least in the short term). If you’re looking for a quick spruce up of the landscape for a party or something, then this mulch is for you.

However, most reviews I’ve seen of this product say it will be extremely washed out after about a week or so. This is dyed mulch that doesn’t appear to last very long. A washed out mulch bed is almost as bad as no mulch bed at all in my opinion. This mulch offers no sort of warranty or guarantee and there’s a reason why. They’d run themselves out of business.

I purchased this for the front of my house a few years ago, and it did start to grey pretty quickly. I would be prepared to re-mulch often if this is the mulch you go with.

At $3.78 per 1.5 cubic foot ($2.52/cu ft), this mulch isn’t really that affordable. I’m honestly really struggling to find why you’d give this stuff a try.

Hard to miss the Jet Black mulch bags at Lowe’s

Check out how many bags of mulch you will need using our calculator below.

Premium 2-cu ft Black & Red Hardwood mulch at Lowe’s

If you want a laugh go read the reviews of this stuff on another site. Several people said there is literally nothing premium about this stuff other than the price. Just based on the reviews and pictures I’ve seen online of this, it looks like booty (in a bad way). No thank you. Some poor guy bought 140 bags of this and said it completely ruined his landscaping.

Astoundingly, it actually comes with a 1 year color warranty. I’m not sure how they gauge whether or not the color lasted a year or not but that’s up to them I suppose. I honestly wouldn’t want the red to last in my landscaping that long anyways.

At $3.68 per 2 cubic feet per bag ($1.84/cu ft), this stuff actually isn’t super expensive. So if you do not care what your yard looks like, or want to do something affordably, you certainly can try a few bags of this. But I’d personally try it in the backyard first and see what you think.

If it passes the test, go pick up some more. What you do NOT want to do is order over 100 bags and then try to return it. That would not be fun.

What you will see when you walk into Lowe’s.

The Evergreen Mulch collection at Lowe’s

The Evergreen Mulch at Lowe’s comes in a ton of different forms and is a high-value natural mulch. Check out their different products below, then use our calculator to figure out how much to buy.

Evergreen 3-cu ft Natural Brown Pine Bark Nuggets

An option slightly different than the ones previously discussed, pine bark nuggets. No, I’m not talking about Chick-Fil-A nuggets. Pine bark nuggets come packed with nutrients just like shredded hardwood does and because of its larger surface area, lasts for years and years. This stuff is absolutely fantastic for walk paths and playgrounds that get a lot of wear and tear. If you don’t use rubber mulch for that stuff then I’d highly recommend you go this route.

This mulch doesn’t come with a guarantee though. However, from the reviews I’ve seen it doesn’t appear that you’ll really need one. Aside from a few reviews complaining about bugs in the bag, everything else has looked great.

The Natural Brown Pine Bark Nuggets from Lowe’s will run you $4.58 per 3 cubic feet ($1.52/cu ft), so much more affordable than the shredded hardwoods we’ve reviewed earlier.

Pine bark nuggets – make sure to get the nuggets!

The distinctive orange stripes on the nugget version.

Evergreen 3-cu ft Natural Dark Brown Pine Bark Mulch at Lowes

A more traditional mulch offering from Evergreen the natural dark brown pine bark MULCH. Important to note, this is different from the Evergreen Natural Brown Pine Bark Nuggets reviewed above, this will be more fine, like a traditional mulch. However, not quite as fine as shredded hardwood mulch so this will have longer usage similar to the nugget variety discussed earlier. The reviews look favorable to this as well.

Evergreen also doesn’t offer a warranty on this pine bark mulch either. However, the reviews look favorable to this as well so I wouldn’t worry about that. Honestly, this stuff looks really good. Based on my test at Lowe’s and the reviews online, I like this stuff. It functions similarly to other mulches and is MEGA affordable.

This bag is priced the same as the nugget variety so it’s a matter of personal preference here. At $4.58 per 3 cubic feet per bag ($1.52/cu ft) this isn’t going to break the bank. But it might break your neighbors hopes and dreams of having the best lawn in the neighborhood (Suck it, Jerry!).

Brown bag at Lowe’s is the mulch, not the orange.

Evergreen 3-cu ft Natural Brown Hardwood Bark Mulch

The Hardwood Bark Mulch product from Evergreen has me confused. Some bags appear to be great while others look awful. It must be the way Evergreen processes their mulch. Some reviews look like this is straight sawdust while others look like super high quality stuff. So buyer beware. If you can, spot check a few of these bags before you bring them home.

The bags are opaque so you’ll have to rip open a few to see what they look like but worse things happen in transit for these things so I wouldn’t worry about it. If you can get a few good bags of this I’d recommend this because when it’s good it’s GOOD.

Again, no warranty/guarantee here but if you can handpick your bags then you should be in good shape.

This variety is a bit more affordable than the other options from Evergreen. This bag is $4.28 per 3 cubic feet ($1.42/cu ft).

Evergreen 3-cu ft Brown Cypress Bark Mulch

Similar to other mulches, cypress mulch offers weed preventing, moisture retention properties and nutrients to the soil and plants in your landscaping. Cypress is unique in that it doesn’t spread apart like other mulches though. It kind of sticks together and doesn’t run out in big gully washers (I love that word) – basically heavy rains – like other mulches do. Also, the cypress tree population has been decimated over recent years so if you’re environmentally conscious, I’d look elsewhere.

Yet again, no warranty from Evergreen. Similar to the other options, check the bags periodically before you take them home. If not, you may be stuck with an undesirable product.

Priced the same as the Evergreen pine bark options, $4.58 per 3 cubic feet per bag ($1.52/cu ft) this is another affordable option. I’d give this a shot if you experience heavy downpours or are worried about washouts. This mulch might give you a better hold than other options.

The fashionable purple cypress mulch blend.

Oldcastle Premium 2-cu ft All Natural Cedar Mulch at Lowes

Ah the smell of cedar. Brings me back to bonfires by the lake at my buddies house. One of the greatest smells of all time in my opinion. So this mulch really caught my eye. I’d love to have my landscaping smell and look wonderful. However… The reviews for this product go in many different directions. Some people love this, some people claim this has completely ruined their landscaping. So another buyer beware!

No warranty or guarantee here and apparently Oldcastle’s product quality varies greatly between batches so make sure you take a peek inside before you take these home.

The aromatic cedar option will run you $4.58 per 2 cubic feet ($2.29/cu ft). This is a little more expensive than the Evergreen options but not quite as much as the Preen. I’d go with the Preen for a slightly more effective product in my option.

The Aromatic Cedar mulch at Lowe’s naturally repels insects.

Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced 2-cu ft Deep Forest Brown & Classic Black Mulch

If you know anything about lawn care then the name Scotts should ring a bell for you. This is the top of the top of mulch at Lowes. Looks like they’ve ventured into the mulch space as well. Scotts touts this mulch as using regionally sourced trees so you’ll be supporting local by using this product! Every tree used in this mulch comes from a maximum of 150 miles away. So this product should be giving your plants and soil something that they’re used to. At least I think that’s what the logic is.

The customer reviews appear to be similar to other mulches in that consistency is something that is a bit of a challenge here. Make sure you inspect your bags before you bring them home. If you get a good bag or run then you’re in good shape for a high quality product.

Scotts does offer a 1 year color warranty so if you’re not happy with the color after 9 months, you can pick it up and return it or maybe get your money back. I’m sure after 9 months, if you’re like most people, you’ll either apply a new bag or it’ll be winter and you don’t care anyways.

Scotts Nature Scapes mulch comes in at $3.98 per 2 cubic feet ($1.99/cu ft). This is a relatively affordable option for a brand name product like Scotts.

The brown Scotts Nature Scapes mulch at Lowe’s

The Best Mulch from Scotts Nature Scapes.

Lowes Mulch Sale: Cost per bag summary

Mulch at Lowe’s	Price Per Cubic Foot	Cubic feet per bag	Cost per bag	Color Warranty?
NuScape Rubber Mulch Nuggets	$8.73	0.8	$6.98	Yes
Preen Mulch with Extended Control Weed Preventer	$2.49	2	$4.98	Yes
JET BLACK 1.5-cu ft Black Hardwood Mulch	$2.52	1.5	$3.78	No
Premium 2-cu ft Black & Red Hardwood	$1.84	2	$3.68	Yes
Evergreen 3-cu ft Natural Brown Pine Bark Nuggets	$1.52	3	$4.56	No
Evergreen 3-cu ft Natural Dark Brown Pine Bark Mulch	$1.52	3	$4.56	No
Evergreen 3-cu ft Natural Brown Hardwood Bark Mulch	$1.42	3	$4.26	No
Evergreen 3-cu ft Brown Cypress Bark Mulch	$1.52	3	$4.56	No
Oldcastle Premium 2-cu ft All Natural Cedar Mulch	$2.29	2	$4.58	No
Scotts Nature Scapes Color Enhanced 2-cu ft Deep Forest Brown & Classic Black Mulch	$1.99	2	$3.98	No

How much mulch do I need for my yard?

Easy! Use this tool to calculate exactly the amount you need.

Lowes 4th of July Mulch Sale

Lowes is having a 4th of July mulch sale in 2024 where you can grab three bags of mulch for $10. Not as great of a deal as it normally is during the beginning of the year, but not bad!

We will keep an eye out for any other Mulch sales around the holidays, but things really start to slow down in the gardening space in the Fall.

Check out our tips for mulching in the Spring that we’ve learned over a decade of yearly mulching.