Hedge Spacing: How Far Apart Should Hedge Trees Be Planted?

Spacing is where amateur hedges go wrong in both directions: too far and the wall never closes, too close and trees fight each other into thin, leggy growth. Here is the table we plant to.

Our spacing standards

15-gallon: 2.5 ft on center (3 ft for podocarpus, cypress, and other upright growers). 24-inch box: 3 ft. 36-inch box: 4 ft. 48-inch box: 5 ft. Larger trees carry wider canopies, so bigger stock plants farther apart and still touches sooner.

Why it matters financially

Spacing sets tree count, and tree count is most of your price: a 60-foot line needs 25 trees at 2.5-foot centers but only 16 at 4-foot. This is exactly how our estimate computes your number — footage ÷ spacing + 1, priced per tree, no padding.