Plastic Mulch Film & Film Length & Weight to Order
Mulches tomato
Plastic mulch over raised beds warms soil, conserves moisture and smothers weeds — enter your bed-to-path ratio, film width and micron thickness to get the film length and weight you need.
Size your mulch film
Next: order about 2,248 m of 1.2 m × 25 µm film (≈ 62.1 kg) to cover 2,698 m² of bed; add 5–10% for overlap and laying losses.
Only the bed area gets film — paths stay bare — so bed:path ratio drives consumption. Thinner film costs less but tears; thicker film lasts longer and suits laying machines.
Plastic mulch film — key facts
- Bed area
- field area × bed share
- Film length
- bed area ÷ film width
- Film weight
- length × width × micron × density
- PE density
- ≈ 0.92 g/cm³
- Common width
- 1.0–1.5 m rolls
- Thickness
- ≈ 20–50 microns
- Order extra
- for overlap, tuck & offcuts
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Cover the beds, not the paths — and order the right rolls
Plastic mulch earns its keep three ways at once: it warms the soil so crops start earlier and grow faster, it caps evaporation so drip water stays in the root zone, and it blocks the light weeds need to germinate. But only the beds get covered, not the wheel tracks and walkways, so the film you actually need turns on the bed-to-path ratio and the roll width — and the weight, which is how film is priced and shipped, turns on the thickness in microns.
This tool gives the bed area, the film length, the film weight and the field area as soon as you enter the ratio, width and micron thickness. Use the length to count rolls and the weight to compare thicknesses and estimate cost, then add a margin for overlap and tuck-in. Pair it with the Mulch, Drip Irrigation and Row Cover calculators for a complete plasticulture bed plan.
Order the right rolls
Get the film length for your beds, not paths.
Compare thicknesses
Weigh 25 vs 50 micron film on cost and life.
Warm soil, save water
Plan the cover that earns earlier growth.
Budget the buy
Weight drives price, transport and roll count.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does plastic mulch film do?+
Plastic mulch laid over raised beds warms the soil for earlier and faster growth, conserves moisture by cutting evaporation, and smothers weeds between the crop plants. It is a staple of plasticulture for vegetables and fruit, usually paired with drip irrigation run under the film so water reaches the root zone through the cover.
How is the film length calculated?+
Only the beds are covered, not the paths, so bed area = field area × the bed share of the bed-to-path ratio. Film length = bed area ÷ film width. For example 70% beds on 1000 m² gives 700 m² of bed; with 1.2 m wide film that is about 583 m of film to lay.
How is the film weight calculated?+
Weight depends on thickness. Film volume = length × width × thickness (microns converted to metres), and weight = volume × the plastic's density (polyethylene ≈ 0.92 g/cm³). Thicker film in microns means more plastic per metre and more weight, so a 50-micron film weighs over twice a 25-micron one for the same area.
What is the bed-to-path ratio?+
It is the share of the field that is actual crop bed versus the wheel tracks and walkways between beds. You only mulch the beds, so a 70:30 bed-to-path layout means 70% of the field is covered. Entering the ratio stops you from over-ordering film for ground that is never mulched.
What film width should I use?+
Match the width to your bed top plus the tuck-in on each side — common rolls are 1.0–1.5 m for single beds. Wider film covers wider beds or accommodates more tuck for anchoring, but must still suit your bed-laying machine. Enter the actual roll width so the length reflects the rolls you will buy.
What thickness (microns) should I choose?+
Thinner film (about 20–25 microns) is cheaper and fine for a single short season; thicker film (40–50 microns or more) is tougher, lasts longer and resists tearing during laying and the crop. Thickness drives weight and cost, so this tool's weight output helps compare options.
Why does the weight matter?+
Mulch film is often priced and shipped by weight, and rolls are specified by weight as well as length. Knowing the weight lets you order the right number of rolls, estimate cost, plan transport and handling, and compare film of different thicknesses on a like-for-like coverage basis.
Does this work for any area or unit?+
Yes — enter the field area in m², hectares, acres, bigha or guntha, the film width in metres and the thickness in microns. The bed area, film length and film weight scale to your field and layout, so it suits a polytunnel bed or a multi-hectare plasticulture block alike.
Are the figures precise?+
They are solid ordering figures. Real usage runs a little higher for overlaps, tuck-in, end anchoring and offcuts, so add a margin when buying. Density varies slightly by film type, and bed widths are rarely exact — treat the length and weight as a close estimate and round up to whole rolls.