Planting a hedge: how many plants per metre, and what it costs
Most hedge plants go in at 2-4 plants per metre: Leyland cypress 2, cherry laurel and photinia 2.5 (40 cm apart), yew 3, hornbeam 3.5, privet and beech 4. The plants go in one row, 80 cm from the fence, in autumn or early spring. What the hedge costs depends most on the size of the plants: the table works it out at today's shop prices in your country, for the length of your own hedge.
Updated: October 24, 2026 · Data and prices from our plant database, worked out for your country. How our data is made
How many plants per metre?
The number comes from the plant's hedge spacing. Broad, large-leaved evergreens go further apart: cherry laurel and photinia 40 cm apart, 2.5 plants per metre, Leyland cypress 50 cm apart, 2 per metre. Smaller-leaved plants that widen more slowly need more: yew 3, hornbeam 3.5, privet and beech 4 plants per metre.
Most hedges stand in one row. A staggered double row (the two rows 30 cm apart) is worth it if the hedge should be thick or must fill in from the bottom quickly: hornbeam, beech and privet then take 5-6 plants per metre.
- The total is the length times the plants per metre, rounded up. A 20-metre cherry laurel hedge takes 50 plants, a hornbeam hedge of the same length 70.
- Where the hedge runs up to the corner of a building or a gate, put a plant at the very end too: the corner is the thinnest point of a hedge.
- Planting closer does not make it screen sooner, only costs more: plants set too close take the light from each other and go bare at the bottom.
What does a hedge cost?
The price depends on the number of plants and their size. A plant over a metre tall costs many times a small potted one of the same kind, but screens from the first summer. Enter the length of your hedge in the table below: it counts the plants and the price at today's shop prices in your country, the cheapest metre first.
- Plants per metre
- 2 (50 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 20
- Plants of the usual size
- €80
€8 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 3 (33 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 30
- Plants of the usual size
- €87
€8.70 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 3 (33 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 30
- Plants of the usual size
- €150
€15 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €1,500
€150 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 3 (33 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 30
- Plants of the usual size
- €150
€15 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €1,800
€180 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 2 (50 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 20
- Plants of the usual size
- €160
€16 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €170
€17 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 3 (33 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 30
- Plants of the usual size
- €180
€18 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €3,400
€340 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 3 (33 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 30
- Plants of the usual size
- €180
€18 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2 (50 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 20
- Plants of the usual size
- €180
€18 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2 (50 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 20
- Plants of the usual size
- €220
€22 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €1,700
€170 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €220
€22 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 1.5 (67 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 15
- Plants of the usual size
- €230
€23 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 1.5 (67 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 15
- Plants of the usual size
- €240
€24 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2 (50 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 20
- Plants of the usual size
- €260
€26 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 4 (25 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 40
- Plants of the usual size
- €280
€28 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 3 (33 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 30
- Plants of the usual size
- €300
€30 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 1.5 (67 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 15
- Plants of the usual size
- €300
€30 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 4 (25 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 40
- Plants of the usual size
- €320
€32 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €350
€35 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €2,200
€220 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 1.5 (67 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 15
- Plants of the usual size
- €360
€36 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €360
€36 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €3,000
€300 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €360
€36 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €2,000
€200 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 2 (50 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 20
- Plants of the usual size
- €380
€38 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €410
€41 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €1,400
€140 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €570
€57 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 2.5 (40 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 25
- Plants of the usual size
- €650
€65 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- no offer
- Plants per metre
- 3.5 (29 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 35
- Plants of the usual size
- €1,000
€100 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €1,000
€100 per metre
- Plants per metre
- 4 (25 cm apart)
- Plants for the whole length
- 40
- Plants of the usual size
- €2,200
€220 per metre
- Plants of 100-150 cm
- €1,700
€170 per metre
|
Plant
|
Plants per metre
|
Plants for the whole length
|
Plants of the usual size
|
Plants of 100-150 cm
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
2
50 cm apart
|
20 |
€80
€8 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
3
33 cm apart
|
30 |
€87
€8.70 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
3
33 cm apart
|
30 |
€150
€15 per metre
|
€1,500
€150 per metre
|
|
|
3
33 cm apart
|
30 |
€150
€15 per metre
|
€1,800
€180 per metre
|
|
|
2
50 cm apart
|
20 |
€160
€16 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€170
€17 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
3
33 cm apart
|
30 |
€180
€18 per metre
|
€3,400
€340 per metre
|
|
|
3
33 cm apart
|
30 |
€180
€18 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
2
50 cm apart
|
20 |
€180
€18 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
2
50 cm apart
|
20 |
€220
€22 per metre
|
€1,700
€170 per metre
|
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€220
€22 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
1.5
67 cm apart
|
15 |
€230
€23 per metre
|
no offer |
|
Leatherleaf viburnum
Evergreen
|
1.5
67 cm apart
|
15 |
€240
€24 per metre
|
no offer |
|
Prague viburnum
Evergreen
|
2
50 cm apart
|
20 |
€260
€26 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
4
25 cm apart
|
40 |
€280
€28 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
3
33 cm apart
|
30 |
€300
€30 per metre
|
no offer |
|
Rufa clumping bamboo
Evergreen
|
1.5
67 cm apart
|
15 |
€300
€30 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
4
25 cm apart
|
40 |
€320
€32 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€350
€35 per metre
|
€2,200
€220 per metre
|
|
Fountain bamboo
Evergreen
|
1.5
67 cm apart
|
15 |
€360
€36 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€360
€36 per metre
|
€3,000
€300 per metre
|
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€360
€36 per metre
|
€2,000
€200 per metre
|
|
Arizona cypress
Evergreen
cypress family, attacked by the jewel beetle · mild-winter regions only, hardy to -18 °C
|
2
50 cm apart
|
20 |
€380
€38 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€410
€41 per metre
|
€1,400
€140 per metre
|
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€570
€57 per metre
|
no offer |
|
|
2.5
40 cm apart
|
25 |
€650
€65 per metre
|
no offer |
|
European hornbeam
Deciduous
|
3.5
29 cm apart
|
35 |
€1,000
€100 per metre
|
€1,000
€100 per metre
|
|
European beech
Deciduous
|
4
25 cm apart
|
40 |
€2,200
€220 per metre
|
€1,700
€170 per metre
|
“Plants of the usual size” is the typical price of the size shops sell most often (leaving out the large specimen sizes), mostly a plant of 30-80 cm. Where the online shops sell a plant mainly in large sizes, as many do with hornbeam and beech, this price is higher too. Where shops give the height, the table also shows the price of plants of 100-150 cm. The price is for the plants alone: soil improvement, mulch and delivery come on top.
The cheapest is a bare-root plant. Nurseries sell deciduous hedge plants (hornbeam, beech, privet, hawthorn) from November to March without soil, in bundles, for much less than in pots. The table does not show these, as online shops rarely sell them.
Where to plant: distance from the fence
Set the hedge row 80 cm from the fence. A clipped hedge is 50-60 cm wide, which leaves a 50 cm strip behind it from which the back can be clipped too. A hedge pushed up to the fence cannot be clipped at the back, goes bare and grows into the neighbour's garden.
Leave 40-50 cm in front of it as well for clipping, before the bed begins. Along a property line, local rules may limit the height of the hedge and its distance from the line; check them before planting.
When to plant?
- In autumn, from mid-September to early November: the soil is still warm, the plants root in before winter and start sooner in spring. This is the best time.
- In early spring, from March to mid-April, if you missed the autumn. The first summer then needs more watering.
- Plant bare-root deciduous plants only while they are dormant, from leaf fall to bud break, on a frost-free day.
- A container plant can in principle go in all year, but not in a summer heatwave: for the first weeks it would need watering every day.
How to plant?
- Stretch a string along the row and dig a trench: 40-50 cm wide and a spade deep, with the bottom loosened another spade deep. Planting in a trench is easier and more even than digging holes one by one.
- Mix ripe compost into the soil you dug out. On heavy clay, water can stand at the bottom of the trench: yew and cherry laurel do not take waterlogging, so mix in sand or fine gravel there too.
- Set the plants along the string, measured out with a tape, at even distances and as deep as they were in the pot. Soak the roots of bare-root plants for a few hours before planting.
- Firm the soil around the plants and water them in well: 10-20 litres a plant. Then spread 5-7 cm of mulch along the row; it keeps the moisture in and holds weeds back.
The first two years: watering and clipping
A hedge is most vulnerable in its first two summers, when most plants are lost. In dry weather water deeply once a week, twice in a heatwave; rarely and a lot is better than a little every day. A drip line along the row is the least work.
Cut a deciduous hedge (hornbeam, beech, privet, hawthorn) back by a third after planting, privet even by half: it then branches from the base and fills in at the bottom. On evergreens (yew, cherry laurel, photinia) shape only the sides, and leave the top until it reaches the height you want.
Clip the hedge narrower at the top and wider at the bottom: the lower branches then get light too, and the hedge does not go bare. How often each plant needs clipping, and when the birds rule it out, is in the guide to fast-growing hedges.
Which hedge plant to choose?
- If it must screen in winter too: an evergreen hedge plant; the longest-lived is yew, the most common cherry laurel.
- If it should be cheap: privet, or bare-root hornbeam from a nursery in autumn. Clipped hornbeam keeps some of its dry leaves through the winter.
- If it must screen quickly: the guide to fast-growing hedges shows how much each grows in a year and how many years it takes to reach 180 cm.
- For shade, yew, cherry laurel, hornbeam and privet are right; the cypress family and photinia go bare there. Choose from these instead of thuja too: thuja and its relatives are dying off in large numbers because of the juniper jewel beetle.
- Low edging hedges are in the low hedge plants list, all of them in hedge plants. Our garden planner also puts the hedge into the plan, 80 cm from the fence, at your country's prices.
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