Arborvitae Privacy Hedge: How to Plant, Space and Water It

Most failed hedges die from the same few mistakes: plants set too deep, spaced too tight or left thirsty during their first summer. An arborvitae privacy hedge can screen a yard within a few seasons, but only if the row is planted correctly from day one. The good part is that the process is straightforward and needs only basic tools.

Here is the short answer. Call 811 before digging, then lay out the row with a stringline at least 3 to 5 feet in from fences and property lines. Space narrow upright types 3 to 4 feet apart in a single row, or use a staggered double row for faster, denser cover. Plant each shrub with its root flare at or slightly above grade, water deeply right away, and keep the soil evenly moist for the entire first year.

We cover planning, spacing, the step-by-step planting process, watering schedules, staking in windy sites and the problems that turn healthy evergreens brown.

Planning Your Arborvitae Privacy Hedge

Start with the mature size of the variety you have chosen. Narrow upright arborvitae commonly reach 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Giant types can grow 30 feet or more tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. The nursery tag lists both numbers, and they drive every spacing decision. Planting a giant type where you only have room for a narrow one leads to years of hard pruning and eventual crowding.

Check sunlight next. Arborvitae want at least six hours of direct sun for dense growth. In heavy shade they thin out and open up, which defeats the purpose of an arborvitae privacy screen. Drainage matters too. They like moist soil but do not tolerate standing water, so avoid low spots where puddles linger after rain.

Finally, think about who sees the hedge. Many towns and homeowner associations limit hedge height along front yards and corners for sight lines. Check local rules before you buy, especially if you want an arborvitae privacy wall tall enough to block a second story.

Tools and Materials

• Arborvitae plants (count based on your row length and spacing)
• Two stakes and mason’s string for a stringline
• Tape measure and landscape marking paint or flags
• Round-point shovel and a spade
• Garden hose and a soaker hose for the row
• Shredded bark mulch
• Pruners or a utility knife for circling roots and burlap
• Stakes and soft, wide tree straps (windy sites only)
• Gloves and sturdy boots

Spacing: Single Row or Staggered Row

Spacing is measured center to center, from the middle of one trunk to the middle of the next. For a single row of narrow upright types, set plants 3 to 4 feet apart. At that spacing, branches knit together into a solid wall within a few years. Tighter spacing gives instant cover but forces plants to compete for light and water, which leads to thinning and browning on the inside.

A staggered double row works well when you want faster privacy or a deeper screen. Run two parallel lines about 3 feet apart, then offset the plants so each one sits between two plants in the other row, like a zigzag. Plants in each line can sit 5 to 6 feet apart because the offset fills the gaps.

• Narrow upright types, single row: 3 to 4 feet apart
• Narrow upright types, staggered rows: 5 to 6 feet apart within each row, rows 3 feet apart
• Giant types, single row: 5 to 8 feet apart, depending on the variety

Distance From Fences and Property Lines

Keep the centerline of the hedge at least half the mature width away from any fence, wall or property line, and add a foot or two for maintenance access. For narrow types, that usually means 3 to 5 feet. Giant types need 6 feet or more. This keeps branches from pressing against the fence, gives roots room to spread and lets you trim both sides without stepping onto a neighbor’s lawn. If you are not sure where the line sits, check your property survey before planting.

How to Plant Step by Step

1. Call 811. Contact your state’s one-call service a few business days before digging. Utility crews will mark buried gas, electric, water and communication lines at no charge. Wait until all marks are in place.
2. Set the stringline. Drive a stake at each end of the row and pull mason’s string tight between them, set at your chosen distance from the fence. Mark each planting spot along the line with paint or a flag.
3. Find the root flare. Before digging, look at each plant. The root flare is where the trunk widens into the top roots. Brush away extra soil in the pot until you can see it.
4. Dig wide and shallow. Make each hole two to three times wider than the root ball but no deeper than the distance from the flare to the bottom of the ball. Roughen the sides of the hole with the shovel so roots can push out.
5. Prepare the roots. For container plants, gently loosen or cut any roots circling the outside of the ball. For balled-and-burlapped plants, set the ball in the hole first, then cut away twine, wire baskets and as much burlap as you can reach.
6. Set the depth. Position each plant so the root flare sits at grade or an inch above it. Planting too deep is the most common reason young arborvitae fail. Check that the plant is straight from two directions.
7. Backfill. Use the native soil you removed. Heavy amendments in the hole can hold water like a bathtub in clay soil. Firm the soil gently with your hands and water halfway through to settle it.
8. Water deeply. Soak each plant slowly until the root ball and surrounding soil are thoroughly wet.
9. Mulch. Spread 2 to 3 inches of shredded bark along the whole row, keeping it a few inches off the trunks.

Staking in Windy Sites

Most arborvitae do not need stakes. Their roots establish faster when the trunk can flex a little. In exposed, windy spots or for tall plants over about 6 feet, stake for the first year only. Drive two stakes outside the root ball on opposite sides, attach soft, wide straps loosely around the trunk at about one third of its height, and leave a little slack. Never use bare wire, which cuts into bark. Remove the stakes after one growing season.

First-Year Watering Schedule

Watering is where most hedges succeed or fail. New plants rely entirely on their root ball until roots grow into the surrounding soil, which takes most of a year.

• Weeks 1 to 2: water every day or every other day, soaking the root zone.
• Weeks 3 to 12: water two to three times a week.
• Rest of the first season: water deeply about once a week, more in hot or windy weather.
• Fall: keep watering until the ground freezes. Evergreens lose moisture through their foliage all winter.

A soaker hose snaked along the row makes this easy and delivers water slowly at soil level, which keeps foliage dry and reduces runoff. Check moisture by pushing a finger 2 inches into the soil near the root ball. If it feels dry, water. If it feels soggy, wait. Overwatering in poorly drained soil can rot roots just as surely as drought kills them.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Browning from the inside: some interior needle drop each fall is normal. Widespread browning usually points to drought stress, planting too deep or overcrowding.

Winter burn: brown foliage on the sunny or windward side in late winter comes from moisture loss. Water deeply into fall and consider a burlap screen on exposed sites for the first winter or two.

Splayed or bent tops after snow: heavy snow can bend multi-stem plants apart. Gently brush off snow after storms and tie leaders loosely with soft garden ties if needed.

Deer browsing: deer love arborvitae in winter. Fencing or repellents help where deer pressure is high.

Gaps in the row: usually from too-wide spacing or a plant that failed. Replace dead plants early so the new one can catch up.

Typical Costs

Small arborvitae in gallon-size containers are inexpensive, often costing well under fifty dollars each. Larger 5- to 7-foot plants can cost much more apiece, especially when balled and burlapped. A row of 20 to 30 plants adds up quickly, so compare price per foot of screen rather than price per plant. Professional installation adds labor and delivery costs but saves a lot of heavy digging.

When to Call a Licensed Professional

Bring in a landscape contractor for large balled-and-burlapped plants, which can weigh hundreds of pounds, and for long rows on slopes or in poorly drained soil that may need grading. If your planting line runs near buried utilities or an unclear property boundary, get the utilities marked through 811 and confirm the line with a licensed surveyor first. Any work near overhead power lines should stay with professionals and your utility.

A well-planted arborvitae privacy hedge rewards patience. Lay out a straight row, give each plant room, set the root flare at grade and water faithfully through the first year. In return you get a living screen that thickens every season.