Is the 5-for-$10 Mulch Sale Actually Worth It? (Home Depot vs Lowe's Cost Breakdown)

Right now, as you're reading this, Lowe's SpringFEST is already running. Sta-Green mulch bags — the full 2 cubic foot bags — are $2 each at participating stores through April 22, 2026. That's 50% off regular price. And Home Depot's Spring Black Friday event, historically their biggest mulch deal of the year, is right around the corner.

So yes — the 5-for-$10 mulch sale is real, and the timing is right now. But before you load up a cart with 80 bags, there are two things worth knowing: the stores are not offering the same deal, and the deal isn't always the best option depending on how much mulch your project actually needs.

Here's the honest breakdown.

Sale dates and prices vary by store and region. Always verify current pricing at your local store before purchasing. Offers subject to change without notice.

What Is the 5-for-$10 Mulch Sale?

Both Home Depot and Lowe's run a spring promotion where you can buy 5 bags of mulch for $10 — which works out to $2 per bag, roughly half off the regular price of $3.97–$3.98. You don't actually have to buy exactly 5 bags to get the deal. You can buy as many bags as you want at the sale price, up to a 75-bag limit at Home Depot. Not sure when the sale hits? See our full mulch sale calendar.

Here's what's confirmed and what's predicted for spring 2026:

• Lowe's SpringFEST: CONFIRMED running March 26 – April 22, 2026. Sta-Green 2 cu ft bags at $2 each.
• Home Depot Spring Black Friday: PREDICTED around April 2–15, 2026 based on historical patterns. Earthgro 1.5 cu ft bags at $2 each. Not officially announced yet.
• Both stores — Memorial Day: PREDICTED May 14–27, 2026. Lowe's typically repeats the $2/bag deal. Home Depot usually runs a slightly weaker 4-for-$10 offer.

Home Depot vs Lowe's: They're Not the Same Deal

This is the part most articles skip over — and it's the most important thing to know before you pick a store.

Both stores advertise "5 bags for $10," but the bag sizes are different. Home Depot uses their Earthgro brand in 1.5 cubic foot bags. Lowe's uses Sta-Green in 2 cubic foot bags. Same price. More mulch at Lowe's.

Lowe's is 25% cheaper per cubic foot during their spring sale. If you're buying 50 bags, that difference adds up to about $16 in your pocket — just from choosing the right store. For most homeowners, Lowe's SpringFEST is the better deal of the two.

What the Sale Actually Costs on a Real Project

Let's say you need 4 yards of mulch — a common size for refreshing the front and back beds on a typical residential property. Here's what that looks like in bags vs. bulk.

4 yards = 108 cubic feet. At 2 cu ft per bag, that's 54 bags. See our guide on how many bags are in a yard of mulch if you want to run your own numbers.

At Lowe's sale price, bagged mulch wins on sticker cost — $108 is hard to beat. But it's worth being honest about what that price doesn't include: two to three store trips, 54 bags of plastic waste, and a few hours of your Saturday. For a project this size, the sale is genuinely worth taking advantage of if you have a truck or a big SUV and don't mind the runs.

For a deeper look at how these numbers play out across different project sizes, see our full bagged mulch vs. bulk cost guide.

Is It Worth Waiting for the Sale?

If you need mulch now and Lowe's SpringFEST is live in your area — you don't need to wait. The sale is already running at participating stores through April 22.

If you're eyeing Home Depot's Spring Black Friday (predicted April 2–15), you're looking at a 2-week wait at most. Whether that wait is worth it depends on your project size:

• Under 1 yard: Not worth planning your weekend around a sale. Just grab bags when it's convenient.
• 1–3 yards: If you can wait two weeks and have the truck space, the sale saves real money. Worth it.
• 4+ yards: Start running the math against local bulk delivery. The sale gets competitive but trips and bag disposal add up fast at this volume.

The quickest way to figure out how many yards you actually need: use our Mulch Calculator. Enter your bed dimensions and target depth and it'll give you a yard count before you buy a single bag.

When the Sale Isn't Worth It

The spring sale is a genuinely good deal — but it's not always the right call. Here's when it makes more sense to skip the bags entirely:

• You need 6+ yards. Even at sale prices, the time and logistics of hauling that many bags yourself starts to outweigh the savings. At 6 yards you're looking at 162 bags from Lowe's — that's 4 to 5 loaded car trips.
• You don't have a truck or large SUV. A standard car or crossover fits maybe 15–20 bags safely before things get tight. For a larger project that becomes a lot of trips.
• You need it this weekend. Local bulk mulch suppliers can often deliver within a few days. You're not waiting for a sale or making multiple store runs — one order and it shows up in your driveway.
• You want the job completely done. Some bulk suppliers, including us here in SE Wisconsin, offer full installation — mulch delivered and spread for you. No bags, no wheelbarrow, no cleanup.

For a full breakdown of how bulk delivery compares to bagged at every order size, see our Bulk Mulch Delivery Guide.

Spring 2026 Mulch Sale Quick Reference

Screenshot this and save it. This covers every major mulch sale event for spring and early summer 2026:

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to buy exactly 5 bags to get the sale price?

No — at both Home Depot and Lowe's, the sale price applies per bag regardless of how many you buy. You can buy 10 bags, 30 bags, or 75 bags and still pay $2 each (up to the per-transaction limit, which is 75 bags at Home Depot). You don't need to count out groups of 5.

Is Home Depot or Lowe's the better mulch sale?

Lowe's, on a per-cubic-foot basis. Lowe's SpringFEST uses 2 cubic foot Sta-Green bags at $2 each, which works out to $1.00 per cubic foot. Home Depot's Spring Black Friday uses 1.5 cubic foot Earthgro bags at the same $2 price, which is $1.33 per cubic foot. Same price tag, 25% more mulch at Lowe's. Prices and availability vary by store and region — always check your local store.

When is the next mulch sale after the spring event?

Both Lowe's and Home Depot typically run a second mulch sale around Memorial Day, predicted for May 14–27, 2026. Lowe's tends to repeat their $2/bag deal. Home Depot's Memorial Day offer is usually slightly weaker — historically a 4-for-$10 deal ($2.50/bag) rather than 5-for-$10. After Memorial Day, mulch prices at both stores generally return to regular pricing until the following spring.

Can local bulk mulch beat the sale price?

For smaller orders (under 3 yards), Lowe's SpringFEST at $1.00 per cubic foot is genuinely hard to beat on sticker price alone. For larger orders of 4 yards or more, bulk delivery becomes competitive once you factor in your time, multiple store trips, and bag disposal. The convenience factor swings heavily toward bulk at that volume — and some local suppliers offer installation too, meaning the mulch gets delivered and spread without you touching a wheelbarrow.

Predicted dates are based on historical sale patterns and are not officially confirmed. Prices and availability vary by store and region. Verify current pricing at your local Home Depot or Lowe's before purchasing. Offers subject to change without notice.