Wonderful experience! They put the mulch exactly where we wanted. This mulch spread very easily and didn’t have the usual “mulch smell.” We will definitely use again!
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One cubic yard of compost covers about 324 square feet at a 1 inch depth, which is the right depth for top dressing an established lawn. If you are tilling into new beds, plan for 2 to 3 inches worked into the soil, which cuts your coverage down to 108 to 162 square feet per yard. Measure your bed or lawn area first, then decide if you are top dressing or building new soil, since the depth changes the math a lot.
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Wonderful experience! They put the mulch exactly where we wanted. This mulch spread very easily and didn’t have the usual “mulch smell.” We will definitely use again!
One cubic yard of compost covers about 324 square feet at a 1 inch depth, which is the right depth for top dressing an established lawn. If you are tilling into new beds, plan for 2 to 3 inches worked into the soil, which cuts your coverage down to 108 to 162 square feet per yard. Measure your bed or lawn area first, then decide if you are top dressing or building new soil, since the depth changes the math a lot.
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Getting started is easy — just follow these simple steps
Adjust the quantity to match your project. One cubic yard covers about 100 to 160 square feet at a 2 to 3 inch depth.
Select a delivery date you'd like for the product to be dropped off at your home
Sit back, wait, and let us work our magic to make sure the highest quality product is delivered to your driveway.
Wonderful experience! They put the mulch exactly where we wanted. This mulch spread very easily and didn’t have the usual “mulch smell.” We will de...
Wonderful experience! They put the mulch exactly where we wanted. This mulch spread very easily and didn’t have the usual “mulch smell.” We will definitely use again!
Placing an order online was so easy. Delivery was on time. When the driver realized we had a newly poured driveway they erred on the side of cautio...
Placing an order online was so easy. Delivery was on time. When the driver realized we had a newly poured driveway they erred on the side of caution and opted not ti drive in it. The company even sent me a message explaining that call. Would recommend!
Great service. We ordered topsoil from Mulch Mound and the best experience. Thank you so much!
Compost pairs well with mulch on top once beds are amended, since the mulch holds moisture in while the compost keeps feeding the soil below. A lot of Rock Island customers order compost in spring to refresh vegetable beds and then bring in mulch later in the season for the same beds. If you are overseeding a lawn in fall, a thin compost top dress before or after seeding helps germination in that Zone 5b window before the Oct 15 frost.
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Finished compost should smell earthy, not sour or ammonia like. If a load smells off, it was not fully finished before screening, and it can actually tie up nitrogen in your soil instead of releasing it. For lawn top dressing in Rock Island, rake it thin right after mowing so it settles into the thatch layer instead of sitting on top and smothering grass blades during humid summer stretches.
The biggest mistake we see is piling compost on too thick thinking it will speed things up. More than 3 inches tilled into a bed can actually lock up nutrients rather than release them, especially in silt loam that already holds moisture. Stick to the 1 to 3 inch range depending on your project, and let the soil biology do the rest over a season rather than trying to force it in one application.
Fall applications after your last mow work well in this climate since the compost has all winter to break down further before spring planting starts around the April 22 last frost date. Ordering compost and mulch together in the same delivery saves a trip if you are finishing beds in one weekend, since the compost goes down first and the mulch caps it off.
Silt loam is the soil you are working with here, and it is decent stuff, but years of lawn traffic and clay pockets near the river bluffs can leave it dense and slow to drain. Compost worked into that soil structure opens it up and feeds the microbial life that silt loam needs to perform. With a growing season that runs from late April to mid October, gardeners here have a real spring and fall window to build soil before or after the heavy heat. Whether you are prepping new beds near the Arsenal area homes or refreshing an older lawn, compost is the fix for soil that looks fine but drains poorly.
Finished compost is organic matter that has fully broken down into a dark, crumbly material with an earthy smell. It feeds soil life, improves structure, and helps beds hold water without staying soggy.
Work 1 to 2 inches into new beds, or topdress lawns with a quarter to half inch and rake it in. More is not better. Too thick a layer can smother roots instead of feeding them.
Spring and fall are both good windows. Spring applications feed the growing season ahead, and fall applications break down over winter so beds are ready at first thaw.
