Proper spacing for landscape plants often seems to create confusion. We can not uniformly recommend exactly how far apart plants should be placed. The actual spacing depends on what effect is to be achieved, the ultimate mature size of a plant and how it is to be pruned and maintained.
In addition to the way plants are used for landscape effect, plant spacing may vary with the gardening budget. We want to get the maximum effect from the minimum number of plants. On the other hand we want to place trees and specimen shrubs so they may develop fully without crowding each other, the house or other structures.
Before selecting the exact spot for a tree or shrub, determine what the ultimate size of each plant may be. Nursery personnel, catalogs, garden books and extension publications are all sources of such information. Specific varieties may indicate altered plant form from spreading to upright, weeping or dwarf. Do not confuse spread of such varieties with normal plants. Very new varieties may not be found in books, so get information on the specific plant size at the point of purchase.
Many plants, such as shrubs and round-headed trees, grow about as wide as they grow tall. If figures for width can not be found, estimate from the ultimate height. A plant that may grow somewhere between 5 and 10 feet tall might be planted about 7 to 8 feet apart. A shrub that may be known to grow between 2 to 5 feet tall may require a spacing of about 3 feet. Not all plants fit such a generalization. Very low plants often spread considerably more than their height, and upright plants do not have a spread anywhere near the height.
Placement from the house, or from other shrubs is about one-half the ultimate spread, or for two different plants, one-half of the total spread for both plants. Small shrubs should be planted at least 2 feet from a house foundation, medium shrubs about 3 feet and tall shrubs 4 to 5 feet away. An 8-foot shrub next to a six foot shrub should be spaced about 7 feet apart.
Spacing plants in hedges is another matter. Plants must be spaced closer together to form a full, dense screen. Low hedge plants (3 to 4 feet high) should be spaced about 18 inches apart. Tall hedge plants will need to be spaced 3 to 4 feet apart.
Low ground cover plants may be spaced in regard to how fast a complete cover is wanted. Cost may also be a determining factor. Remember that 100 plants at a 6-inch spacing will cover about 25 square feet of bed area. At a 12 inch spacing they will cover 100 square feet, and at a 24-inch spacing they will cover about 400 square feet.
Trees, especially large shade trees, should be placed well away from the home to avoid later maintenance problems. Strong-wooded shade trees such as oaks should be planted no closer than 20 feet from the house, but soft wooded trees such as soft maple should be planted at an even greater distance. Large shade trees should be planted about 50 feet from each other.
Trees of medium size such as red maple or river birch should be spaced about 35 feet apart. Small trees such as dogwood, redbud, hawthorn or crab may be planted 15 to 20 feet apart and no closer than 8 feet from the house when used as an accent or corner planting.
- © 1988, International Society of Arboriculture. All rights reserved.
FAQs
A plant that may grow somewhere between 5 and 10 feet tall might be planted about 7 to 8 feet apart. A shrub that may be known to grow between 2 to 5 feet tall may require a spacing of about 3 feet.
How far apart should you plant plants? ›
The easy way to determine spacing between different plants is to use the average of their mature sizes. As an example, when planting a 5-foot-wide hydrangea planted next to a boxwood that grows up to 3 feet wide, space the plants 4 feet apart. Remember to measure from the center of one plant to the next.
How to measure spacing between plants? ›
Your plant has a lot of growing to do, so make sure to space it out with its full diameter in mind. You can do this by checking the on-center spacing suggestion for each plant. Then measure from the center of one plant to the center of the next plant.
Why do plants need to be spaced apart? ›
The correct plant spacing prevents overcrowding. This can lead to competition for resources such as water, nutrients, and sunlight. Spacing plants allows them to spread their roots and access the necessary nutrients in the soil.
What is the spacing for perennial plants? ›
Plants whose mature height is 3' or above should be planted 2' to 3' feet apart, and plants 2' to 3' tall should be spaced 1.5' to 2' apart. Below 2' tall, spacing should be 1'. Most perennials benefit from lifting and dividing every three to four years.
What is the ideal distance between two plants? ›
A good visual rule of thumb for plant spacing is to plant so the tips of the leaves from one mature plant are 2-4 cm from the tips of the leaves of another plant. This usually can be estimated as: Around 5-10cm between seedlings for small leafy vegetables like Lettuce and Cai Xin.
What is the best spacing for plants? ›
These are the basic, most frequently used spacing's in the square foot garden: The 3-inch spacing accommodates beets, carrots, onions and radishes. The 4-inch spacing is for bush beans and spinach. A 6-inch spacing is needed for Swiss chard, leaf lettuce and parsley.
What is the spacing of landscape plants? ›
Plants must be spaced closer together to form a full, dense screen. Low hedge plants (3 to 4 feet high) should be spaced about 18 inches apart. Tall hedge plants will need to be spaced 3 to 4 feet apart. Low ground cover plants may be spaced in regard to how fast a complete cover is wanted.
What is the row spacing of plants? ›
To calculate the spacing between two rows of different vegetables, halve the combined total of the two different measurements. For example, if you are spacing kale at 45 cm and French beans at 30 cm, and planting them in rows next to each other, allow approximately 37 cm between each row.
What happens if you plant plants too close together? ›
If you plant flowers too close together, the plants get stressed and are prone to diseases, Kole says. If air can't properly circulate and the plants can't dry out between waterings, fungus sets in. Roots can rot. And once plants are weakened from stress, insects move in.
For a square bed, multiply the length of the bed by its width to determine how many plants per square foot. For a circular planting bed, you can calculate how many plants per square foot is ideal by multiplying 3.14 by the distance from the center to the edge of the bed.
How far apart do plants have to be? ›
If figures for width can not be found, estimate from the ultimate height. A plant that may grow somewhere between 5 and 10 feet tall might be planted about 7 to 8 feet apart. A shrub that may be known to grow between 2 to 5 feet tall may require a spacing of about 3 feet.
How far apart should I plant my flowers? ›
Here are general guidelines for spacing perennials: Small perennials – 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm.) Medium perennials – 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm.) Large perennials – 18 to 36 inches (46 to 91 cm.)
What is the distance between plants per row? ›
The ideal spacing between the rows in your garden provides ample room for your plants to grow and for you to work in. In most cases it is a good idea to leave at least 18 to 36 inches of space between each row of plants.
How close can you plant flowers together? ›
Here are general guidelines for spacing perennials: Small perennials – 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm.) Medium perennials – 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm.) Large perennials – 18 to 36 inches (46 to 91 cm.)
How to arrange garden plants? ›
There are two basic rules when arranging plants in the beds: 1) space the individual plants so that they touch each other when they reach their mature size, and 2) overlap the masses of plants and connect them so that they flow without space between them. Avoid gaps or large open areas between masses.
What is the best row spacing for a garden? ›
- Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage: 2' - 3' row spacing.
- Tomatoes: 2' - 4' row spacing.
- Summer Squash: 3' - 5' row spacing.
- Winter Squash: 5' - 6' row spacing.
- Cucumbers: 5' - 6' row spacing.
