Hedge Plants per Meter

Hedge plants per linear meter

The plant count comes from plants = (length / spacing) + 1, with length in meters and spacing in meters (converted from cm). In Brazil the usual hedge spacings run like this: privet (ligustro) and azalea 30–50 cm between plants, buxinho (boxwood) 25–30 cm, pingo-de-ouro (Duranta) 30 cm. Take a 10 m hedge at 40 cm spacing: 10 / 0.40 + 1 = 26 plants, or 25 if you don't double up at the endpoint. Plant them tighter and the hedge fills in sooner, but you'll be pruning more often and the disease risk climbs.

Applications

It shows up in residential landscaping, property dividers, privacy screens, condominium and shopping mall planting, and when you need to budget a muda (seedling) order at the garden center.

FAQ

Should I add an extra plant for the endpoint? If the hedge has open ends, yes. The +1 in the formula is what closes both ends. When the hedge runs between two walls, drop the +1.

Which species closes the hedge fastest? Pingo-de-ouro (Duranta erecta) and privet are quick growers. Boxwood takes longer but comes in denser.

What if the hedge is curved? Run a flexible tape along the curve to get the total path length, then apply the same formula.