One of the most common questions we hear from customers is, “How far apart should I plant my cedar hedge?” It is a great question, because spacing has a huge impact on how your hedge will look, how quickly it will fill in, and how healthy it will be over time. Plant them too far apart and you may wait much longer than expected for privacy. Plant them too close and you can end up with overcrowding, poor airflow, and a hedge that becomes harder to maintain as it matures.
The first thing to know is that there is no single spacing answer that works for every cedar hedge. In garden centres, the word “cedar” is often used very loosely. Many of the plants people are actually buying for privacy hedges are arborvitae, or Thuja. Different types have very different mature widths. An Emerald Cedar hedge and a Green Giant or Excelsa hedge should not be spaced the same way, because they do not grow to the same size. A good spacing plan always starts with the variety you are planting, the amount of privacy you want, and how patient you are willing to be while the hedge fills in.
A quick answer for most homeowners
If you want the short version, most narrow upright arborvitae hedges such as Emerald Cedar are commonly planted about 24-36 inches apart from centre to centre for a fairly quick privacy screen. If you want a little more breathing room and do not mind waiting longer for the hedge to knit together, 3 to 4 feet apart can also work. Larger-growing types such as Green Giant or Excelsa need much more room and are often spaced in the range of about 3 to 4 feet apart, sometimes even more depending on the finished look you want and how much pruning you are prepared to do in the future.
That said, the best answer is not based on the size of the pot you are buying today. It is based on the mature width of the plant and the look you want the hedge to have in five to ten years. This is where many planting mistakes happen. Customers understandably look at a young, narrow plant in a pot and assume it should go very close to the next one. In reality, arborvitae can broaden significantly as they mature, and spacing that looks wide at planting time often looks just right a few years later.
Why spacing matters more than people think
Spacing is not just about appearance. It also affects plant health. Arborvitae generally do best in moist, well-drained soil, in full sun to part shade, and they are much happier when they are not under unnecessary stress. They do not love dry, exposed, windy sites, and once you combine site stress with overcrowding, problems can become more noticeable. A hedge planted too tightly may fill in quickly at first, but over time it can become dense on the outside and thinner or browner inside. That does not always mean the hedge is failing, but it can make the plants more difficult to manage and less attractive if they are constantly competing for light, water, and root space.
Proper spacing also gives you more flexibility. A well-spaced hedge is easier to water, mulch, inspect, and prune. If you ever need to work around irrigation lines, fences, or property edges, a little extra planning at the beginning saves a lot of frustration later. This is especially true in Metro Vancouver and the Pacific Northwest, where wet winters, dry summer stretches, and compacted urban soils can all influence how well a hedge settles in.
Start with the variety, not the size of the pot
When choosing spacing, the variety matters first. Emerald Green, also known as Smaragd, is one of the most popular privacy hedge choices because it stays relatively narrow and upright. Mature plants are often in the range of about 2 to 3 feet wide, which is why a spacing of around 2.5 to 3 feet on centre is so common for a denser hedge. If you space Emerald Cedars farther apart, they can still make a nice screen, but it may take longer before the individual plants visually connect.
Green Giant and Excelsas are very different plants. They grows much faster and much larger, with a mature spread that can become dramatically wider than Emerald Cedar. This is where people sometimes get into trouble. If Green Giant is planted at “Emerald Cedar spacing,” it can eventually become too large for the space and require ongoing pruning to keep it under control. If you are planting Green Giant for a big property, wind buffer, or large privacy screen, giving it significantly more room from the start is usually the smarter choice.
Dense screen or softer look?
Another helpful question to ask yourself is what kind of hedge you want to end up with. Some homeowners want a very tight green wall as quickly as possible. Others prefer a more natural look where each plant still has some individual definition. If your goal is fast privacy, you will generally plant on the closer end of the recommended range. If your goal is a softer, airier hedge with less long-term crowding, you can plant on the wider end.
There is no right or wrong answer here. It comes down to priorities. Closer spacing usually gives quicker visual coverage, but wider spacing usually gives each plant more room to develop naturally. A hedge that is planted a little too wide can eventually be improved with patience. A hedge that is planted far too tight is harder to correct later without removing plants.
How to measure spacing properly
When we talk about spacing, we mean from the centre of one trunk to the centre of the next trunk. This is called on-centre spacing. It is an important detail because many people accidentally measure from edge to edge of the pots or root balls instead. That can throw the whole line off, especially over a long run.
Before planting, it helps to lay all the plants out in position first. Stand back and look at the line from several angles. This simple step often reveals problems before anything goes in the ground. You may notice that one end looks too tight, the curve is uneven, or the hedge is too close to a fence. Small adjustments before planting are much easier than digging everything up after the fact.
It is also wise to think about setback. Even if the centres are spaced correctly, the whole hedge still needs enough room from fences, sidewalks, and property lines. A hedge planted too close to a fence may eventually rub, flatten, or become difficult to prune on that side. Giving the row a little breathing room can make a big difference in how manageable it is years down the road.
Do not try to fix bad spacing with heavy pruning
Some people assume that if they plant too closely, they can always just shear the hedge harder later. That is not the best strategy with arborvitae. Light shaping is usually fine, but arborvitae do not respond well to being cut back hard into old bare wood. In other words, good spacing matters because it is much easier to guide a hedge than to rescue one that was squeezed into too little space from the beginning.
This is also why variety selection matters so much. If you know you have a narrow side yard, choosing a naturally narrower arborvitae is usually a better long-term solution than choosing a large-growing type and planning to fight it every year with pruning.
What about staggered rows?
For most home landscapes, a single straight row is the simplest and most practical choice. It is easier to plant, easier to water, and easier to maintain. A staggered double row is sometimes used where people want a very thick screen or windbreak, but it needs more space and more budget. In a typical residential yard, it can also create more interior shading and make access harder.
If you are considering two rows, it is worth asking whether you really need them, or whether a better variety choice in a single row would do the job more cleanly. In many cases, the right plant at the right spacing gives a better result than doubling up plants in a space that is already tight.
Planting depth and site preparation still matter
Even perfectly spaced cedars can struggle if they are planted poorly. Arborvitae generally prefer moist but well-drained soil, and planting depth is especially important. As with many trees and shrubs, the planting hole should be wider than the root system, and the plant should go in at the proper depth rather than being buried too low. In heavier or poorly drained soils, planting slightly high is often safer than planting too deep.
Once planted, mulch helps hold soil moisture and moderate temperature swings, but it should be kept pulled back from the trunk rather than piled against it. Watering is also critical during establishment. A new hedge should never be left to fend for itself in summer simply because cedar is thought of as a “tough” plant. New roots need time to establish into the surrounding soil, and even hardy plants can struggle if they dry out early in the process.
Our practical rule of thumb
When customers ask us for the simplest way to think about cedar hedge spacing, this is usually what we suggest: choose your variety first, check its realistic mature width, then decide whether you want a faster dense screen or a more open natural finish. For Emerald Cedar, many homeowners land in the 2-3 foot range on centre. For larger growers like Green Giant, give them much more room. If you are unsure, it is better to pause and ask before planting than to guess and regret it later.
If you are planning a hedge right now, bring in the total length of your planting area, the variety you are considering, and a few photos of the site. That makes it much easier to estimate how many plants you need and how far apart they should go. Sun exposure, soil conditions, nearby fences, and the width of the bed can all influence the best recommendation.
Final thoughts
A good cedar hedge starts with good spacing. It is one of those decisions that seems small on planting day, but it shapes the entire future of the hedge. When spacing is right, the plants fill in more naturally, maintenance is easier, and the finished hedge usually looks healthier and more intentional. When spacing is wrong, the problems tend to show up later, after the digging, watering, and waiting have already happened.
If you are not sure what spacing is right for your hedge, that is exactly the kind of question worth asking before you plant. A few minutes of planning can save years of frustration. Bring your measurements and photos to us, and we can help you choose the right cedar and the right spacing for your space.