Guide
6 Mulching Mistakes That Hurt Trees and Shrubs
Mulch volcanoes, layers that are too deep, mulch against stems and more: what goes wrong with mulch and how to do it right.
Read the guide → 6 Mulching Mistakes That Hurt Trees and ShrubsFree lawn, garden & yard calculators
Plan the project.
Skip the guesswork.
How long to water, how many plants fit, how much soil, seed or lime to buy. Every tool shows its math and comes with a plain-English guide.
Shows its math. Formulas and a worked example on every page.
Backed by extension research from US land-grant universities.
Print-ready results. Take your plan to the garden center.
Lawn tools
Sprinkler Run Time
Minutes per zone, cycle-and-soak and gallons used, from your weekly target and rainfall.
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Lawn Fertilizer
Pounds and bags for any N-P-K on the shelf, plus a yearly feeding plan for your grass.
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Lawn Lime
Turn your soil test result into bags and a safe, split application schedule.
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Sod
Pallets and pieces for slabs or rolls, with extra for cuts and an exact partial-pallet option.
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Grass Seed
Pounds of seed by grass type for a new lawn or overseeding, with bags and the best time to sow.
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Garden tools
Square Foot Garden Planner
Click to plant your beds and get plant counts, a shopping list and the soil mix.
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Raised Bed Soil
Soil for several beds at once, any recipe, with bagged vs bulk cost compared.
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Compost
Cubic feet, yards and bags for new beds, top-ups and lawn topdressing, at extension-recommended depths.
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Mulch
Bags or yards for every bed and tree ring at once, with top-up depth and bagged vs bulk cost.
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Yard tools
Gravel
Tons, cubic yards and bags of stone for paths, patios and driveways, with by-the-ton vs by-the-yard cost.
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Topsoil
Topsoil for leveling lawn low spots in safe ½-inch passes, new lawns or filling areas, in yards and bags.
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Paver Base
Base gravel, bedding sand and digging depth for patios, walkways and driveways, with the base widened past the edges.
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Coming soon
Retaining wall blocks · Fence materials · Garden planting calendar
Latest guides
All guides →Guide
Raised Bed Soil Mixes Compared: Which Should You Use?
Topsoil and compost, the square foot gardening mix, or bagged raised bed soil: how they compare on cost, drainage and upkeep.
Read the guide → Raised Bed Soil Mixes Compared: Which Should You Use?Guide
How to Lay Sod So It Takes: Prep, Installation and Watering
Prepare the soil, lay sod in a brick pattern, and water it through the first critical weeks until the roots knit in.
Read the guide → How to Lay Sod So It Takes: Prep, Installation and WateringHow our calculators work
1Measure what mattersWe ask for the few numbers that change the answer, like your soil type or sprinkler rate, and show you how to measure them.
2Get a real planNot just one number: bags to buy, run times per zone, application schedules and costs.
3Check the mathEvery guide shows the formula and a worked example, with sources from university extension services.