Many hobby gardeners ask themselves how many kilograms a sack of bark mulch weighs. Determining the exact weight is not easy, however, because it is subject to strong fluctuations. Therefore, with regard to the weight specifications, there are only values that serve as a guide.
The weight of bark mulch varies widely
Notes on weight
Bark mulch is created in sawmills when the bark is peeled off tree trunks. It is a natural raw material made from plant fibers that can absorb moisture. This property makes it almost impossible to define general weight specifications for a sack of mulch material.
Other influencing factors
The grain size also plays a role, because packaging with a fine-grained substrate is denser and therefore heavier than the same amount of coarse pieces of bark. Here there are more cavities in which there is air. Finally, the composition and the proportion of foreign matter influence the final weight. Because of these variable factors, mulch material is commercially sold in liters.
examples
If you do not know the exact details of the product, you cannot calculate the weight. In this case, you have the option of weighing the bark mulch bag. In this way you get a value that provides you with an orientation. However, you should not generalize the result to other products.
Decisive factors:
- composition of the material
- Percentage of foreign matter
- Size of bark chips
- moisture content in the bark pieces
bulk goods
The bulk density describes the average weight of loosely poured bark mulch that you can buy loose from specialist companies. The designation is the colloquial term for the bulk density, which depicts the mass per volume. With pure bark mulch, the values vary between 310 and 380 kilograms per cubic meter depending on the water content.
bagged goods
The weight of 60 liters of packaged bark mulch is subject to fluctuations that can range from 15 to 25 kilograms. There is less air in bags with fine-grain material than in bags with coarse pieces of bark, so fine mulch material is more densely packed and heavier. If the bags with air holes have been stored outdoors in humid weather, the bark chips will absorb moisture and gain weight. Completely dried material is comparatively light.
Prices
The price of bark mulch is just as variable as the weight. This differs depending on the manufacturer or supplier and is influenced by quality, grain size and composition. In principle, you can expect costs of between twelve and 22 cents per liter for packaged mulch substrates with a fine grain size. For coarse-grained substrates, the price ranges from six to 22 cents per liter. Loose bulk goods are available at cheaper prices per liter of four to seven cents.
tips
A brand name often causes the price to skyrocket, although this says nothing about the quality. Don't let that fool you. High-quality mulch substrates can be recognized by the RAL seal of approval.