Hedge Planting Planner UK

Planning a new hedge? Our free hedge planting calculator helps you work out how many plants you need, where to place them and what to order. Measure your boundary, include gaps for gates or paths, and choose a single species or a mixed native wildlife hedge.

The planner creates a scaled overhead layout, calculates planting distances and prepares a shopping list using prices you enter. You can save your project, download a planting diagram and print setting out instructions to take into the garden.

How to use the hedge planting planner

Start by entering the length of each hedge run. Add any gaps for gates, driveways or access paths, then choose a planting style, plant size and spacing. Select the species you want to grow or adjust one of the suggested wildlife mixtures. The planner then builds a layout and shopping list for your project.

• Measure: Enter each hedge run in metres and remove any gate or path openings.
• Choose a hedge: Select an ornamental hedge, native wildlife mixture or screening hedge, then a single or staggered planting arrangement.
• Choose plants: Compare species and check the soil, light, exposure and space available.
• Review the plan: See calculated positions and setting out distances for the individual plants.
• Plan your order: Enter supplier prices and pack sizes, add an allowance for replacements and export your shopping list.

How many hedge plants do I need?

The number depends on the length being planted, the spacing between individual plants and the number of rows. Longer runs need more plants, but a staggered double row also changes the spacing of the positions along each row.

Worked example: a 10 metre hedge

For a straight 10 m hedge, the planner gives 31 plants in one row at a selected spacing of 33 cm. At a selected spacing of 40 cm in a staggered double row, it gives 49 plants in total. These counts include the planner’s end position rules. They are examples, not universal planting densities.

If your hedge has a gate, break the length into the sections that can actually be planted. The tool leaves openings clear and recalculates the number needed for the remaining sections.

How far apart should hedge plants be?

Spacing varies with the species, the size of the plants supplied and the finished hedge you want. Small bare root plants are often planted more closely than large container grown or root balled plants. A dense wildlife hedge may use a different planting specification from a formal hedge in a narrow garden.

The planner provides species specific starting distances and lets you choose a denser or more economical arrangement, or enter your own spacing. These are planning recommendations, not compulsory standards. Check your supplier’s instructions before ordering, particularly when buying larger plants or planting under an agri environment scheme.

The RHS hedge selection guide provides further information about choosing plants and spacing.

Single row or staggered double row?

A single row is often the simplest option for a neat garden boundary or a site with limited width. It generally needs fewer plants and leaves more room beside paths and borders.

A staggered double row provides a broader planting strip and can be useful for wildlife hedges, shelter and thicker screening. The number of plants per metre is the total across both rows, not the number in each row. The planner shows the spacing between rows and calculates the individual positions so you can set out the hedge accurately.

For a longer mixed hedge, the tool can distribute chosen species along the measured runs. The proposed mixes are starting points that you can adjust. They are not specifications for Countryside Stewardship or any other grant scheme.

Which hedging plants should I choose?

The right species will depend on your soil, drainage, sunlight, exposure, available width and the effect you want. A clipped beech hedge, a yew screen and a mixed native wildlife hedge have very different growing habits.

• Beech: A popular formal hedge for reasonably well drained soils. Clipped plants can retain their brown leaves in winter.
• Hornbeam: Often a useful alternative to beech where the soil is heavier, although persistent waterlogging still needs attention.
• Yew: A dense evergreen option for formal screening, but highly poisonous to people and many animals, including horses.
• Hawthorn and mixed native species: Useful for flowers, berries, shelter and a more varied wildlife habitat when the plants suit the site.
• Laurel: Often chosen for evergreen screening, but it needs sufficient space and species choice matters. Cherry laurel can spread beyond gardens and is unsuitable for some wildlife focused schemes.

If grazing animals can reach your hedge, check individual species carefully and use appropriate livestock fencing. A hedge is not a substitute for a fence. The planner flags certain plant hazards, but no absence of a warning should be treated as proof that a plant is safe.

When is the best time to plant a hedge in the UK?

The dormant season from autumn to late winter is normally ideal for planting deciduous bare root hedging, once the plants have dropped their leaves. Evergreen and root balled hedging is usually best planted during suitable conditions in autumn or spring. Container grown plants can be planted during much of the year when watering can be managed.

Whatever the plant type, avoid working soil that is frozen or waterlogged. If bare root plants arrive before the site is ready, protect the roots from drying out and temporarily heel the plants into suitable soil when necessary. See the RHS hedge planting guide for detailed advice.

How to plant and establish a new hedge

• Prepare the site: Remove perennial weeds and loosen a generous planting strip before delivery.
• Set out positions: Use string and a tape measure, referring to the planner’s setting out strips for each run.
• Check planting depth: Keep the root flare at the correct level and avoid burying stems too deeply.
• Plant and firm: Spread suitable roots naturally, backfill with soil and ensure good root contact.
• Mulch correctly: Keep a weed free strip, apply suitable organic mulch and leave a gap around stems.
• Protect and water: Use guards where browsing animals are a risk and water new plants during dry periods, especially during establishment.

For estimating bark or compost to mulch a new hedge, try our Garden Materials Calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How many plants do I need per metre for a hedge?

There is no single correct figure. Small plants in a formal single row may be planted at roughly three per metre, while a dense native hedge in two staggered rows may use five or six per metre across both rows. The actual recommendation depends on species, stock size, site and purpose. Always check your supplier’s planting specification.

Can I design a mixed native hedge?

Yes. Choose the mixed native wildlife option, select a suggested mixture or adjust the plant percentages yourself. The planner allocates whole plants to the available positions and prepares a quantity breakdown for each species.

Can I include a gap for a gate or driveway?

Yes. Add a gate, path or driveway opening in the measurement stage. The planting plan leaves that section empty and calculates the remaining planted lengths.

How much does a new hedge cost?

That depends on species, plant height, type of stock and supplier prices. Enter the price of the plants you plan to buy, plus any guards and other materials, to prepare an estimated shopping total. Delivery and site preparation costs may need to be added separately.

Can I save or print my hedge planting plan?

Yes. The planner can save a project on your device and provides downloadable or printable planning information, including the layout and shopping list. Check that your browser permits downloads.

Will a native hedge keep livestock in?

Not reliably. A new hedge takes time to develop and can remain open at the base. Maintain suitable livestock fencing and prevent grazing animals from reaching plants that may be harmful.

Is the planner suitable for Countryside Stewardship or other grants?

The suggested mixes and spacing are for general garden planning, not grant compliance. If planting under a government or conservation scheme, follow that scheme’s current specification for density, species and protection.

Explore more free garden tools

Looking for help with another project? Visit our Garden Tools hub for the Spring Bulb Planting Planner and our Garden Materials Calculator. For improving the planting ground, read our guide to soil structure.