How to Space a Hedge

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Once you've decided to plant of row of hedges in your yard, you'll need to know how many plants to buy and how far you should space them. This will depend upon the type of plants you're using, as well as the thickness of the hedge you wish to create.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Hedges
Shovel
Wooden stakes
String or twine
Measuring tape
Peat moss

Step1

Choose which type of hedge you want to plant in order to determine how far to space the planting. Some hedges, such as laurel, can grow quickly to a plant that can be up to 30 feet wide, requiring a spacing of at least 6 feet. Other hedges, such as boxwood and holly, can be maintained at a much smaller size and may need only a couple of feet between plants.

Step2

Use wooden stakes, along with string or twine, to mark off your row of hedges. Plant the stakes into the ground at each end of the designated area, and tie off a string so that it is taut. Measure the total distance of the hedge, divide the distance by the total number of individual plants that you need, and then use additional stakes to mark off the space between each planting hole.

Step3

Select the hedges you wish to plant, and place each one at the precise area in which you will plant it. Step back and space each hedge by eye to confirm your initial measurements, and make adjustments as necessary.

Step4

Dig your planting holes. Each one should be approximately twice the width of the root ball, depending on the type of hedge. Your holes should be exactly the same depth.

Step5

Remove each plant from its container, remove the burlap from the root ball and place it inside the hole. Water the plant thoroughly, and then replace the dirt in the hole. Pack the dirt firmly around the hedge, but be careful not to allow the dirt to rise higher than the uppermost portion of the root ball.

Step6

Check the row of hedges one more time to determine that the space between the plants is accurate. Prune each of the hedges to the same size so that they will grow in a uniform manner. Water daily for at least 3 months.

Tips & Warnings

Mix a few handfuls of sphagnum peat moss with the dirt you've removed from the holes. Sphagnum peat moss will help to keep the root systems of the hedges properly drained and free from bacteria and fungus.