Hedge Plant Calculator

How it works

plants per row = ⌊length ÷ spacing⌋ + 1 · double staggered row: second row = ⌊(length − spacing ÷ 2) ÷ spacing⌋ + 1 · buy 5% extra for losses

Hedge spacing depends on how vigorous the plant is and how quickly you want a solid screen. The Royal Horticultural Society suggests bare-root whips such as beech, hornbeam and privet at about 3 per metre (33 cm apart) in a single row, or 5 per metre in a staggered double row for a thicker hedge; slow, compact boxwood for low edging goes 4 per metre (25 cm), yew about 50 cm apart, and large evergreens such as cherry laurel and arborvitae 60 cm and Leyland cypress about 90 cm apart. The count includes a plant at each end, and buying about 5% extra covers plants that fail in the first year.

Worked example

A 10 m privet hedge with plants 33 cm apart in a single row: 1,000 ÷ 33 = 30.3, rounded down to 30, plus 1 for the end = 31 plants (3.10 per metre). With 5% spare that is 33 plants, costing $165 at $5 each.

Sources: RHS — Hedges: planting · University of Maryland Extension — Planting a hedge

Frequently asked questions