How to Mulch & Edge Shrub & Tree Beds

Mark the edge of your beds with a line of thin spray paint designed for lawns or use a chalk line. Purchase either of these at your local hardware store or garden center. Lay a string down in the shape of your bed and stake it with garden stakes or tent stakes. If you are unfamiliar with edging, mark the bed slightly smaller than you'd like making up for mistakes when using a power edger.

Rent a power edger from and edge your marked beds. While you can use a manual edger, a power edger is quicker, especially for larger beds.

Remove the soil from the bed to the depth the mulch will be placed. Smaller mulches are applied at only 1 or 2 inches deep. Larger mulches are typically applied at 3 or 4 inches deep. Removing the soil ensures that the mulch is the same depth as the lawn or sidewalk the bed borders. Not removing the soil can result in mulch spilling out into your lawn or sidewalk. This also takes away the need to use an edging material around your beds.

Purchase and install your mulch. Mulch is typically sold by the cubic yard; to find how much mulch you'll need multiply the length by the width of your bed to get the square footage then divide that number by 324.