Shrub Spacing Calculator

Estimate shrub spacing, shrubs needed, hedge count, row layout, mature spread coverage, planting bed area, mulch volume, soil amendment, edging length, and total shrub planting cost for borders, hedges, foundation plantings, and landscape beds.

Calculate Shrub Spacing

Shrubs Needed = Planting Length ÷ Shrub Spacing. Area Planting = Bed Area ÷ Spacing Area.
Your result will appear here.

How the shrub spacing calculator works

Linear mode:
The calculator estimates shrubs needed along a hedge, border, fence line, or foundation planting length.

Area mode:
The calculator estimates shrub count from planting area and spacing area.

Rows mode:
The calculator estimates shrubs needed across multiple rows using row length, shrub spacing, and row count.

Spacing from count mode:
The calculator estimates spacing when you already know how many shrubs you want to plant.

Why use a shrub spacing calculator?

A shrub spacing calculator helps plan hedge lines, privacy screens, foundation plantings, shrub beds, and landscape borders before buying plants.

It can help estimate shrub count, spacing, mature coverage, mulch, soil amendment, edging, replacement plants, and total planting cost.

What your result means

Your result shows shrubs needed, recommended spacing, mature coverage, planting area, row layout, mulch volume, amendment volume, bags needed, edging length, and estimated planting cost.

Shrub spacing formulas

Frequently asked questions

How far apart should shrubs be planted?

Shrubs are often spaced based on mature spread. For a dense hedge, spacing is usually closer than the mature spread. For individual shrubs, spacing is often equal to or wider than mature spread.

How do I calculate how many shrubs I need for a hedge?

Subtract end setbacks from the planting length, divide by shrub spacing, then round up and add one if you want shrubs at both ends.

Should hedge shrubs overlap?

For a solid hedge or privacy screen, slight overlap at mature size can help fill gaps. For airflow and lower maintenance, use wider spacing.

How much mulch do I need around shrubs?

Multiply the planting bed area by mulch depth in inches, then divide by 12 to get cubic feet. Divide by bag size to estimate mulch bags.

Is this shrub spacing calculator exact?

No. This is an estimate. Actual shrub spacing depends on plant variety, mature spread, desired density, pruning style, soil, slope, sunlight, structures, and landscape design.