Landscaping Diagrams
9 diagrams · 3 calculators
Mulch depth by use and volcano-vs-donut placement, gravel compaction and yards-to-tons, and bag-vs-bulk and density takeoffs — ordering bulk landscape material by volume and weight.
Calculators in this category
Landscaping · 9 diagrams
- Landscaping
How deep should gravel be? Compacted base depth by use — walk, driveway, street
Gravel depth is not one number — it climbs with the load. ICPI Tech Spec 2: 4–6″ of compacted aggregate base under walks, 6–8″ under driveways, 8–12″ under streets; decorative cover is 2–3″. Foundation drainage (IRC R405.1) uses ≥4″ of open-graded #57.
- Landscaping
Order loose, place compacted — the gravel compaction factor by material class
Gravel ships loose and densifies under the plate, so you order more than the finished bed holds. Dense-graded crusher run ×1.20 (15–25% settlement), open-graded #57/#67 ×1.10 (~8%), rounded decorative stone ×1.00 (does not compact). Loose order = compacted volume × the material multiplier.
- Landscaping
Cubic yards to tons — converting a gravel volume to a supplier ton order
The calculator gives cubic yards; the yard sells tons. Density bridges them: tons = yd³ × (lb/yd³) ÷ 2,000. A cubic yard is not a fixed tonnage — crusher run and pea gravel ≈1.35 t/yd³, #57 stone ≈1.24, light lava rock ≈0.63. Multiply your yards by the material’s tons-per-yard.
- Landscaping
How deep should mulch be? Mulch depth by application — beds, trees, pathways
Mulch depth is not one number — it tracks the planting. Fine cover 1–2″, flower beds 2–3″, trees & shrubs 3–4″, wood-chip paths 3–4″. Stay in the 2–4″ band: under 2″ won’t suppress weeds or hold moisture, over 6″ suffocates roots. Measure what’s down and top up to depth.
- Landscaping
Mulch volcano vs mulch donut — how to mulch around a tree without rotting the trunk
Same volume, two shapes. The volcano piles mulch against the bark — trapped moisture rots the trunk, buries the root flare, and drives girdling roots. The donut lays an even 2–4″ layer pulled 3–6″ back from the trunk, keeping the root flare dry and tapering out to the drip line (ISA guidance).
- Landscaping
Mulch cubic yards, bags & coverage — area × depth ÷ 324, and 13.5 bags per yard
Two steps to an order. Volume: cubic yards = area(ft²) × depth(in) ÷ 324 (324 = 12 in/ft × 27 ft³/yd³). Format: one cubic yard (27 ft³) = 13.5 of the 2-ft³ bags. Coverage is volume ÷ depth, so a deeper layer covers less — 324 ft² at 1″ down to 81 ft² at 4″. Add ~7.5% for spillage.
- Landscaping
Landscape area take-off — rectangle, circle, triangle, and ring-bed formulas summed per section
A bed rarely is a clean rectangle. Add one section per shape and the calculator sums the areas: rectangle = L × W, circle = π(D/2)², triangle = ½ × B × H, and a ring around a tree = π(R² − r²) — remember to subtract the trunk gap. Total area × depth = the volume you order.
- Landscaping
Landscape material weight — one cubic yard is 0.65 tons of lava rock but 1.5 tons of riprap
Cubic yards and tons don’t line up the same way for every material — planning densities run from ~1,300 lb/yd³ (lava rock) to ~3,000 lb/yd³ (riprap). So one cubic yard is 0.65 tons of lava rock but 1.5 tons of riprap, and a ton of a light material covers far more ground. Compare prices per cubic yard (volume), not per ton.
- Landscaping
Bagged, bulk, or dump truck — order size decides, with a ~2 yd³ bulk break-even
The order size in cubic yards picks the format: under ~½ yd³, bagged (delivery minimums make bags practical); ½–2 yd³ is the crossover; past the ~2 yd³ break-even, bulk delivery on a single-axle dump (~5–8 yd³) wins; ≥ 6 yd³, a tandem dump (10–14 yd³) beats two loads. And a ½-ton pickup carries only ~1,500 lb — under one cubic yard for most materials.