How many do I need?The following text and table are a guide to planting density.
Go for the higher number per metre - For formal hedges where a solid appearance, without gaps at ground level, is crucial
- Where you need to keep in children or animals, or keep out intruders
- Where you’re impatient for a hedge to become a solid barrier (generally the higher number per metre will give you a proper hedge by the end of the second growing season after planting)
Go for the lower number per metre - For really long hedges where the budget for high density would be prohibitive
- Where you want the hedge to grow tall (lower planting density allows more moisture, light and nutrients for each plant so they’ll grow more)
- Where you’re quite happy to be a bit more patient knowing that an extra year’s growing season will compensate for lower planting density
If you’re desperate for an instant effect (eg for a new property development) then you can exceed the higher number per metre recommended but you’ll need to make sure each individual plant gets enough water and nutrients so you must plant with RootGrow and add Bonemeal and make sure that the hedge is watered really frequently.
Equally, you can plant less densely than we recommend, (in a single rowfor example) but the hedge will be a bit gappy until it’s fully established and may always be a bit gappy at ground level.
If you need any help to work out how many plants you need for your hedge, please phone us on 01257 261243 for free advice. Species | Pot Size or Root Ball height | Lower density – number of plants per metre | Higher density – number of plants per metre | Pot Grown and Root Balls | | | | Box and Lavender | 1.5 litre | 3 | 6 | Box and Lavender | 2 litre | 4 | 6 | Beech, Escallonia, Privet, Pyracantha, Lonicera, Griselinia, Yew, Laurel | 2 litre | 3 | 5 | As above | 5 litre or RB 90/120cm | 2 | 4 | As above | 10 litre or RB 1.2/1.5m | 2 | 3 | As above | 15 litre or larger or taller RB’s | 1 | 2 | Leylandii, Western Red Cedar | 2 litre | 2 | 4 | As above | 5 litre or RB 90/120cm | 1 | 3 | As above | 10 litre or RB 1.2/1.5m | 1 | 2 | As above | 15 litre or larger or taller RB’s | Slightly less than 1 | 1.5 | Bare Roots | | | | Yew and Box | Up to 60cm | 4 | 6 | Laurel | Up to 90cm | 3 | 5 | All other species | Up to 120cm | 3 | 7 | As above | Taller than 120cm | 3 | 5 | Cell Grown | | 4 | 6 |
Single or double staggered rows? You can plant your hedge in any row formation that you like, however it is common to plant in a single or double staggered row. Choose a single row if you're happy to wait for the final density you require or where budgets won't allow for double staggered. A double staggered row, preferred by many and recommended by hedge layers, creates a thicker, deeper hedge more quickly. The denser the hedge, the higher value it is to wildlife, the quicker it creates a screen and the more stock resilient it is. |
