How to Lay Rubber Mulch

Overview

Rubber mulch, made from recycled rubber, comes in many different colors and sizes. Rubber mulch is most often made to look like natural mulch and performs the same functions as organic mulches. Rubber mulch can control weeds, retain soil moisture and maintain soil temperatures. Laying rubber mulch is similar to laying organic mulches, but you can lay rubber mulch more thinly than wood bark mulches.

Step 1

Prepare the area to be mulched by removing all the weeds. Water your plants right before laying the rubber mulch.

Step 2

Calculate how much rubber mulch you need for the area. If the area to be mulched is 8 feet by 8 feet, you will need about 8 cubic feet of rubber mulch to lay it at a depth of 1.5 inches. At 2 inches thick, you would need 10.7 cubic feet of mulch for the same area, and if the area is a playground that requires a 6-inch layer of rubber mulch, you'll need 32 cubic feet of mulch.

Step 3

Spread out a 1 1/2- to 2-inch layer of rubber mulch around your plants using a garden rake. Lay the rubber mulch as evenly as possible and try not to spread the mulch over any planted seeds or young seedlings.