ConverterHub

Hedge Plant Calculator

Enter the hedge length and spacing between plants to get the number of plants needed.

Result

31

How it is calculated

The tool counts plants for one straight row: plants = floor(length / spacing) + 1. Length is the full run of the hedge and spacing is the distance between plant centres, both in the same unit (the defaults suggest metres, so 40 cm is 0.4). Dividing gives the number of gaps; the extra plant is the one at the start, because a row of n gaps has n + 1 plants. The result is rounded down, so a leftover piece shorter than one spacing does not add a plant. A tiny tolerance stops decimals such as 0.3 / 0.1 from losing a plant. Both values must be above zero, otherwise there is no result. It does not add spares or handle double rows.

Worked example

You want a 12 m hedge with plants 0.4 m apart. Divide: 12 / 0.4 = 30 gaps. Add the first plant: 30 + 1 = 31. So you need 31 plants. If the length were 12.3 m, the division gives 30.75, which rounds down to 30 gaps, still 31 plants, with a little spare run at the end. A very short run, such as 0.2 m with 0.5 m spacing, still gives 1 plant.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Mixing units, for example length in metres and spacing in centimetres. Enter 0.4, not 40, when the length is in metres.
  • Forgetting that the result counts plants, not gaps. A row always has one more plant than gaps.
  • Measuring spacing edge to edge instead of centre to centre, which gives too few plants.
  • Using the figure for a double or staggered row. The tool assumes a single straight line, so a double row needs roughly twice the number.
  • Ordering exactly the number shown. The tool adds no allowance for losses, so many people buy a few extra for failures.

About this calculator

This calculator works out how many plants you need for a single-row hedge by dividing the total hedge length by the spacing between plants (plus one for the starting plant), so you can order the right quantity of whips or pot-grown stock before planting day.

Spacing depends on the species and how quickly you want the hedge to close — fast growers like privet or leylandii are often set 30–45 cm apart, while slower-growing formal hedges like box or yew are planted closer for a denser screen sooner. Getting the count right up front avoids both costly under-ordering mid-project and wasted stock from over-ordering.

Was this helpful?

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Comments (0)

  • Be the first to comment.

Popular calculators

Loan Calculator

Monthly payment, total interest and full amortization schedule.

Percentage Calculator

Percent change, percent of, and ratio calculations.

Discount Calculator

Calculate final price, savings, and discount amount.

BMI Calculator

Body mass index from height and weight (metric or imperial).

Age Calculator

Compute your exact age in years, months and days from a birth date.

Compound Interest Calculator

Calculate the final amount and interest earned with compounding.

All Calculators