Before
After
Ground covers
Beds get re-cut and edged first, then the covering goes down deep enough to hold weeds back. Hardwood, dyed black or brown, cypress, pine bark nuggets, or long-needle pine straw.
We price it on the square footage of the beds and the depth you want it laid at, and we will tell you which of those two is worth spending the money on.
The edge is the part everyone notices.
- Bed edges re-cut, so the line between bed and lawn reads as a decision rather than an accident
- Old mulch cleaned out and hauled off once it has matted into a crust that sheds water
- Pre-emergent weed control laid down before the covering goes on
- Laid at two, three or four inches, and we will say which one your beds want
- Held off the trunks of trees instead of piled up against them
By area and depth
One cubic yard of hardwood mulch covers about 108 sq ft at three inches. A bale of long-needle pine straw covers about 45.
Area times depth, plus whatever is already in the bed.
The material barely changes the labour. What changes it is how much old mulch has to come out first, and how sharp you want the edges when we are done.
Hardwood mulch
About 108 sq ft a yard
At three inches. The standard, and the least expensive way to cover ground properly.
Dyed black or brown
About 108 sq ft a yard
Holds its colour into a second season, which is most of what people are buying.
Cypress
About 108 sq ft a yard
Knits together and stays where it is put on a slope or under a downspout.
Pine bark nuggets
About 108 sq ft a yard
Chunkier and slower to break down. It floats in a hard Lowcountry rain.
Pine straw
About 45 sq ft a bale
The Lowcountry look. Long needle, laid by hand, easy to top up between visits.
The extras
Each priced on its own line
Cleaning out the old mulch, re-cutting the bed edges, landscape fabric and pre-emergent weed control are quoted separately, so you can drop any of them and see the price move.
Depth is the lever nobody thinks about. Two inches looks right for a month. Three inches holds moisture and keeps weed seed in the dark, which is the whole reason to mulch in the first place.
No edge, and nothing holding the line.
Before
After
What people want to know about beds.
How often do beds need doing again?
Once a year for mulch, usually in spring. Pine straw thins faster, so most properties on straw get topped twice.
Does the old mulch have to come out?
Not every time. Once the old layer has broken down into soil it can stay and take the new layer on top. When it has matted into a crust that sheds water off the bed, it comes out.
Mulch or pine straw?
Straw is the Lowcountry look, it is lighter on slopes and azaleas love it. Mulch holds moisture better and stays put in wind. Beds facing the street usually want mulch, beds under pines usually want straw.
Does it stop the weeds?
At three inches with pre-emergent underneath, mostly. At one inch it decorates them. This is the reason we would rather do fewer beds properly than every bed thinly.
How long does a bed job take?
Most properties are a single day, including the edging and the haul-away.
Do you deliver and spread the mulch, or just drop it?
Both, and it is spread as standard. Mulch delivery on its own leaves you a pile on the drive and a weekend of wheelbarrowing. We deliver, cut the bed edges first, then spread to the depth you picked and clear the hard surfaces before we leave.
Get your number
Send the beds, get a real figure.
Give us the address and a photo or two of the beds. You get a price the same day, not a promise that somebody will be in touch.