When you start your landscaping project, one of the first things you’ll have to decide is how much mulch you need. Then you’ll need to find a place to buy the mulch and pick it up, or if you’ll be looking for delivery of a scoop or truckload. Country Living provides a calculator to estimate how much mulch to buy, defined as the square footage multiplied times the depth you want in inches, divided by 324, which gives you the estimated cubic yards you need.

There is not just one kind of mulch – it can be made of a variety of different materials. In fact, mulch is simply any material used for covering the surface of soil.

When you are choosing mulch for your garden, you’ll have several choices. According to The Spruce, there are two kinds of mulch: organic and inorganic. Organic mulch is natural and doesn’t include anything synthetic. Because it’s made from things like bark, pine needles, grass, and leaves, it can add nutrients to the ground where it’s laid. It will decompose and have to be replaced periodically.

Inorganic mulch is made from synthetic materials like plastic, gravel and stone. It won’t add nutrients to the soil, but, it can hold moisture and block weeds. Because it is not made from natural ingredients, it won’t decompose like organic mulch and doesn’t need to be replaced as often.

Whether you make your own mulch, want to buy a small bag or need a scoop or two of bulk mulch, it’s helpful to know how different mulches vary from each other.

Good Housekeeping explains some of the uses of different types of mulch:

• Wood chips and shredded leaves: Wood chips and shredded leaves are useful for flower gardens and shrubs. You can buy them in bags, or gather and shred leaves that have fallen from your trees. Simply mow over the leaves, and you’ll find your mulch in the bag of the lawn mower.
• Grass clippings: Nitrogen-rich grass clippings are particularly good for vegetable gardens. 
• Compost: Compost can enrich your soil and help you grow plants, but it can also be too dry to help the plants take root. You can solve this by using a thin layer of compost topped with another more moist option, like chopped leaves.
• Stray or hay: Straw or hay can be an aesthetically pleasing choice that also retains moisture and prevents weeds. As it decomposes, it adds organic matter to your soil.
• Plastic mulch: Black plastic film spread over your soil can keep everything warm and dry and also raise the temperature of the covered soil.

If you’re not sure exactly what you need, choose somewhere to buy your mulch that has experts on hand to help you determine your needs. If you are working with a gardening service, you can also ask them for help. Anywhere you buy flowers or plants can also give you advice.

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