What this calculator works out
This calculator converts a hedge length into a plant count at your chosen spacing, multiplied by the number of rows.
Hedge planting is linear rather than area-based, which makes the arithmetic simple. The decisions that matter are spacing, whether to use one row or two, and whether to buy bare-root.
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Before you order
- Spacing depends on species and how quickly you want a dense hedge. Native hedging is commonly planted at 30 to 45 cm in a single row.
- A double staggered row at 45 cm, with rows 40 cm apart, produces a much denser stock-proof hedge and uses twice the plants.
- Bare-root whips are available from late autumn to early spring and cost a fraction of container-grown plants.
- Order a few spares. Some losses are normal, and matching plants later is harder than buying them together.
Bare-root whips — young plants lifted while dormant with no soil around the roots — cost a small fraction of container-grown equivalents and establish just as well when planted between November and March. A 30 metre hedge that would cost hundreds of pounds in pots costs a fraction of that bare-root, which is why hedges are traditionally planted in winter.
How this calculator works
Length divided by spacing, times rows:
Plants per row = (hedge length × 100) ÷ spacing in cm, rounded up
Total = plants per row × number of rowsMultiplying length by 100 converts metres to centimetres so it matches the spacing unit. The count rounds up so the hedge reaches the full length rather than stopping short.
Worked example: a 10 metre hedge
Using the default figures — 10 m at 45 cm spacing in a single row:
- Plants: 1,000 ÷ 45 = 22.2, rounded up to 23
Twenty-three plants for a single-row hedge. A double staggered row for a stock-proof or wildlife hedge needs 46, which sounds like a large jump until you price bare-root whips — at typical rates the difference for a 10 m hedge is modest, and the resulting hedge is far denser at the base where it matters.
Common mistakes
- Buying container-grown plants for a long hedge. Bare-root costs a fraction and establishes as well.
- Planting too far apart. Gaps at the base never fill properly once the hedge matures.
- Not cutting back after planting. Most hedging species need hard pruning in the first year to bush out at the base.
- Planting into unprepared ground. A prepared trench establishes far better than individual holes.
- Forgetting to water in the first summer. New hedges fail in dry spells more than any other cause.
Frequently asked questions
Which species make a good hedge?
For a native mixed hedge, hawthorn as the backbone with blackthorn, hazel, field maple, dog rose and holly. For a formal evergreen hedge, yew, box, privet or laurel. Beech and hornbeam hold dead leaves through winter, giving screening without being evergreen. Leylandii grows fast and creates more disputes than any other garden plant.
Single or double row?
Single row suits an ornamental or boundary-marking hedge. A double staggered row produces a denser, more stock-proof and more wildlife-friendly hedge, and is standard for agricultural and conservation planting. It doubles the plant count, which with bare-root whips is usually affordable.
When should I plant?
Between November and March while plants are dormant, which is also when bare-root stock is available. Avoid planting into waterlogged or frozen ground. Container-grown plants can go in year-round but need considerably more watering if planted in spring or summer.
How high can a hedge be?
There is no general planning limit on hedge height, but the High Hedges provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour Act allow a local authority to require reduction of an evergreen or semi-evergreen hedge over 2 m where it unreasonably affects a neighbour's enjoyment of their property. Complaints must normally follow an attempt to resolve the matter directly.
Is what I enter stored?
No. Measurements are processed in your browser and never transmitted or retained.
Related tools
References
- Royal Horticultural Society — hedge species, planting distances and establishment
- GOV.UK — high hedges legislation, hedgerow protection and boundary disputes
Sources are checked at publication and can change — how I choose and check references.