What this calculator works out
Buying a hedge comes down to one question that is easy to get wrong by guesswork: how many plants does this run actually need? Too few and the hedge sits gappy for years while the plants slowly close the distance; too many wastes money on stock that gets crowded out or has to come back out again. This tool takes the length of run, the species, and whether it is going in as a single row or a double staggered row, and turns that into a plant count, a spacing figure, a trench width and depth guide, and an optional cost.
Planting density is not one number for every hedge. A fast screening conifer like leylandii is planted further apart than a dense, low box-style edge; a bare-root native mix aimed at a stock-proof boundary is planted closer than an ornamental laurel meant to fill out on its own. Each species here starts from a density sourced from UK hedging nursery guidance, and that figure stays in a plain, editable field, because your own supplier's stock size and guidance is always the better number to use if it differs from the default.
How the maths works
The run length is multiplied by the planting density to get the number of plants, then rounded up, since no nursery sells part of a plant. A double staggered row is modelled as the single-row density multiplied by 1.4, a figure that sits inside the range nurseries publish where they give both a single and a double figure for the same species; it is an approximation applied evenly rather than a separately sourced number for every species, and the density field stays editable if your own supplier quotes an exact double-row figure instead.
Spacing is the same calculation read the other way round. A metre of run needing 5 plants in a single row puts each plant 100 ÷ 5 = 20cm from the next. In a double staggered row the combined density splits across two rows, so each row is sparser than the total figure suggests: 7 plants per metre across two staggered rows works out to about 3.5 per metre along each row, roughly 28.6cm apart, with the rows themselves commonly set about 40cm apart so the zigzag pattern actually staggers.
A worked example
Take a 10m run of bare-root mixed native hedging, a hawthorn-led whip mix, going in as a double staggered row at the default 5 plants per metre single-row density. Doubled at 1.4x for the staggered row, that is 7 plants per metre, so 10 × 7 = 70 plants exactly. With no allowance added, that rounds to 70 plants; add the optional 5% allowance and 70 × 1.05 = 73.5, rounded up to 74. At a typical bulk whip price of around £1.20 each, 74 plants comes to about £88.80 before delivery.
The other way round: 25ft of cherry laurel in a single row, at the default 2.5 plants per metre. Converted to metres, 25ft is 7.62m; 7.62 × 2.5 = 19.05 plants, rounded up to 20. Laurel is usually sold as larger pot-grown specimens, so at a typical potted price of around £9 each, 20 plants comes to about £180 before delivery, a reminder that species choice moves the total cost as much as the plant count does.
Choosing a species and the density that goes with it
The defaults on this page come from Best4Hedging's planting-density guidance and Hopes Grove Nurseries' hedge-spacing advice, cross-checked against Ashridge Nurseries and Grasslands Nursery where those two did not cover a species directly:
- Bare-root mixed native (hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and similar whips): 5 plants/m single row, commonly stated as 6-8/m double staggered, the recommended method for bare-root and cell-grown stock generally.
- Beech and hornbeam: 3-5 plants/m single row depending on how quickly you want the hedge to fill in, widening to roughly 5-7/m double staggered for the classic dense winter hedge that holds its coppery leaves.
- Cherry / common laurel: 2-3 plants/m for young stock, with larger specimens spaced further apart; laurel grows fast enough that a modest single-row spacing closes up within a couple of seasons.
- Leylandii: Hopes Grove states 2 plants/m for hedges up to 2m tall, spacing roughly a quarter of the final height for anything taller; this calculator defaults to about 1.7/m, inside the commonly quoted 60-75cm range.
- Yew: Hopes Grove's guidance for a dense yew hedge is 3 bare-root plants per metre, 33cm apart, used directly as the default.
- Privet: 3-4 plants/m for medium (60-90cm) stock, tightening for smaller plants and loosening for larger ones.
- Photinia and Portuguese laurel: roughly 2-3 plants/m for young stock, the same broad pattern as cherry laurel.
None of these are the only correct figure. A supplier selling noticeably larger or smaller stock than the guidance assumes will usually publish their own recommended spacing on the product page; use that in the density field above whenever it is available, since it reflects the actual plants being sold rather than a general rule.
Single row or double staggered row
A single row is the default choice for most garden boundaries: it costs less, is easier to plant straight, and suits species that bulk out well on their own, like laurel or privet. A double staggered row, with the two rows offset so each plant sits opposite the gap in the other, is the standard recommendation for bare-root native hedging aimed at a stock-proof countryside boundary, since it closes gaps at ground level faster and copes better if the odd plant fails. The trade-off is straightforward: more plants and a wider trench for a denser hedge sooner, against fewer plants and a longer wait from a single row.
Preparing the trench
Trench sizing is guidance rather than an exact formula, since it depends on the rootball or root spread of the actual plants rather than the run length. Bare-root whips have a small root system and go into a narrow slit trench, typically 30-40cm wide and 25-30cm deep for a single row, widening to about 70-90cm for both rows of a staggered pair set roughly 40cm apart. Pot-grown stock needs a hole sized to the pot or rootball, typically 40-50cm wide and 30-45cm deep for a single row, or 80-100cm across for a double staggered pair. Break up the base of the trench before planting so roots are not forced against compacted soil, and firm each plant in well, since air pockets around the roots are a common reason a newly planted hedge struggles in its first season.
When to plant: bare-root season and pot-grown flexibility
Bare-root hedging is lifted from the nursery field while dormant and has no soil around its roots, which makes it far cheaper than potted stock but means it only travels and establishes well while dormant. The UK bare-root season runs roughly November to March, avoiding hard frost and waterlogged ground at either end; planting outside it risks the roots drying out before they take hold. Pot-grown hedging carries its own compost and root system, so it can go in at any time of year, though it still needs regular watering through its first spring and summer, particularly if planted outside the cooler, wetter months.
Questions people ask
How many plants do I need per metre of hedge?
It depends on the species and whether you are planting a single row or a double staggered row. Bare-root mixed native hedging is typically 5 plants per metre single row, or 6-8 per metre in a double staggered row; other species range from around 1.7 per metre for leylandii up to 4-5 per metre for beech, hornbeam or privet. Pick a species above to see its default, and edit it if your own supplier quotes a different figure.
When can I plant bare-root hedging?
Roughly November to March, while the plants are dormant and the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged. Bare-root whips have no soil around their roots, so they need to go in and establish before they start actively growing again in spring. Pot-grown hedging is not tied to this window and can be planted at any time of year, with extra watering if it goes in outside the cooler, wetter months.
Should I plant a single row or a double staggered row?
A single row costs less and suits most garden boundaries, especially with a species that bulks out well on its own. A double staggered row uses roughly 40% more plants for the same run but closes gaps at ground level faster and gives a denser, more stock-proof result sooner, which is why it is the usual recommendation for bare-root native hedging.
How fast do different hedge species grow?
Leylandii is by far the fastest, commonly 60-90cm a year, which is exactly why it needs careful, regular trimming. Laurel and privet are also fast, often 30-60cm a year. Beech, hornbeam and photinia sit in the moderate range, roughly 30-60cm and 30-45cm a year respectively. Yew is the slowest by a wide margin, often only 10-20cm a year, which is part of why a mature yew hedge costs so much more to buy ready-grown.
Is it better to plant closer together or wait longer?
Both work; it is a trade-off between money and patience. Planting closer together, or in a double staggered row, buys a denser hedge sooner at the cost of more plants up front. Wider spacing in a single row costs less initially but takes noticeably longer to close into a continuous screen, and leaves more bare soil for weeds to compete with the young plants in the meantime.
Do I need to add anything to the planting trench?
Not strictly, but a general fertiliser such as bonemeal forked into the base of the trench, plus well-rotted compost or a soil improver worked into the backfill, gives young roots a better start, especially on poor or previously unplanted ground. Break up compacted soil at the base of the trench either way, and firm each plant in well once it is in.
Planting densities on this page are defaults drawn from published UK hedging nursery guidance (Best4Hedging, Hopes Grove Nurseries, cross-checked against Ashridge Nurseries and Grasslands Nursery), not a fixed standard. Actual spacing varies with the exact plant size a supplier sells, the site, and how quickly you want the hedge to fill in, so treat the figures here as a solid ordering estimate and check your chosen supplier's own guidance for the stock you are actually buying.