The Mulch Math That Started It All — And It’s Happening Again Right Now
Both Home Depot and Lowe’s are running 5 for $10. They are not the same deal.
AKA: Mulch-flation
If you read the origin story, you know this whole thing started with mulch. Two bags. Same price. Different amounts of actual mulch. I texted six people about it at 9am on a Saturday.
Well. The spring flyers just dropped, and both stores are running the sale again simultaneously. So let’s do the math properly this time.
The Sale
Both Home Depot and Lowe’s are currently offering 5 bags of mulch for $10 — $2 per bag, roughly half off regular retail of around $3.97–$3.98 per bag. The Lowe’s flyer says that the mulch sale is valid through April 13, 2026 (Monday), but a Lowe’s Saint Johns employee said it’s typically good until Memorial Day. Home Depot’s flyer says it runs for 2 weeks, approximately Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
This is legitimately one of the best times of year to buy bagged mulch. The price is right at or near the annual low.
But “5 for $10” from two different stores is not the same deal. Here’s why.
The Bag Size Problem
Home Depot sells Scotts Earthgro mulch in 1.5 cubic foot bags. → At $2/bag, that’s $1.33 per cubic foot.
Direct links (no affiliation):
Lowe’s sells Sta-Green Premium mulch in 2 cubic foot bags. → At $2/bag, that’s $1.00 per cubic foot.
Direct links (no affiliation):
Same price. Same promotion. 33% more product at Lowe’s.
If you buy 10 bags at Home Depot, you get 15 cubic feet of mulch. If you buy 10 bags at Lowe’s, you get 20 cubic feet. That’s a meaningful gap once you’re covering any real ground. Note: Some Home Depot locations carry 2 cu ft bags — check your local store before assuming. The 1.5 cu ft Earthgro is the most common, but inventory varies.
A Quick Detour: How Much Do You Actually Need?
The standard recommended mulch depth is 2–3 inches. At 2 inches:
1 bag of Lowe’s mulch (2 cu ft) covers about 12 square feet
1 bag of Home Depot mulch (1.5 cu ft) covers about 9 square feet
To mulch a simple 10 ft × 20 ft bed (200 sq ft) at 2 inches deep, you’d need:
About 17 bags from Lowe’s — $34
About 22 bags from Home Depot — $44
Same job. Same depth. $10 difference just because you read the label.
What About Delivery?
This is where it gets interesting — and where the math shifts again depending on your project size.
Both stores offer small-order delivery that can actually be free or near-free. Once you’re ordering larger quantities, a truck delivery fee kicks in.
Home Depot: Free delivery is often available on smaller orders (check your zip code — eligibility varies). For larger orders, a flat delivery fee around $35–$79 depending on quantity applies. The 75-bag per-transaction limit is worth knowing if you have a big project.
Lowe’s: Free standard delivery on orders over $45 for eligible items. For bulk mulch deliveries — heavier loads that require a truck — expect a fee in the $39–$129 range depending on quantity. Some MyLowe’s Rewards members may qualify for free same-day delivery on eligible orders over $25.
The practical takeaway on delivery:
If you need fewer than 10–15 bags, check whether free delivery is available at your address — both stores have offered this for small orders, and if it works, it’s worth it purely to avoid loading and unloading bags. If you’re buying 20+ bags for a real landscape project, crunch the delivery fee against your time and vehicle situation. At a certain volume — usually somewhere around 15+ bags — renting a truck for an hour to pick up yourself may beat the delivery fee. At a very large volume (think: pallets), bulk delivery from a local supplier starts to become competitive on a cost-per-cubic-foot basis.
The Bottom Line
Right now — today, through at least April 13th (possibly April 22nd or longer) — both sales are live simultaneously. That’s unusual and worth acting on.
If you have a Lowe’s nearby: The Sta-Green 2 cu ft bags at $2 each are the better deal at $1.00/cu ft. Black tends to sell out fastest; shop early if that’s your color.
If you only have a Home Depot nearby (or prefer Earthgro): The 5 for $10 deal is still genuinely good — half off retail. Just calculate your bag count using 1.5 cu ft rather than 2, or verify your store carries the 2 cu ft bags before you go.
If you’re doing a large project: Run the delivery fee numbers before you assume pickup is cheaper. Sometimes it isn’t.
The deals don’t require a coupon code, a loyalty account, or any tricks. You just have to know the bags aren’t the same size, do the arithmetic, and buy accordingly.
Which is the whole point of this place.
Side note, if you usually get a Military Discount at either store, don’t expect it on these sorts of promotional sales, the computer generally skips these in the discount calculation. However, if you buy other items at the same time that are not deeply discounted, you’ll generally get the Military Discount on those items. Of course, it varies by store and item, but you can’t really tell until you’re at checkout.
All the best,
— Branon
Not an affiliate of Home Depot, Lowe’s, or anyone else mentioned herein. Links are direct to the products so you can check current availability and pricing in your area. Be sure to set the site to the actual location you’re going to shop at since items and delivery vary by location.
If you found this useful, share it with someone who’s doing yardwork this weekend. That’s literally why this newsletter exists.