How Far Apart Should Griselinia Be Planted?

Getting the spacing right when planting a Griselinia hedge has a big impact on how quickly it fills out, how healthy the plants remain and how easy the finished hedge is to maintain.

For most Griselinia hedges, we recommend planting at around 30–50cm apart, which works out at roughly 2–3 plants per metre for many standard pot-grown plants. Smaller young plants may need to be planted more closely, while larger, more established plants can usually be spaced further apart.

There is no single planting distance that is right for every Griselinia hedge. The ideal spacing depends on the starting size of the plants, the type of hedge you want to create, how quickly you want it to fill and the amount of room available.

The aim is to give each plant enough space to develop properly while positioning them close enough for their branches to meet and form one continuous hedge.

What is the best spacing for Griselinia?

As a general guide, we suggest:

• Smaller young plants: approximately 25–35cm apart
• Standard pot-grown plants: approximately 30–50cm apart
• Larger established plants: approximately 50–75cm apart
• Very large or semi-mature specimens: spacing should be based on the individual width of the plants supplied

For many domestic Griselinia hedges, around 3 plants per metre creates a good balance between reasonably quick coverage and enough room for healthy development.

Larger plants already have a wider canopy and more developed root system, so there is usually no benefit in packing them together at the same density as small young plants.

How many Griselinia plants do I need per metre?

The number of plants needed per metre depends primarily on their size.

A useful guide is:

Approximate spacing	Plants per metre
25cm apart	4 plants
33cm apart	3 plants
40cm apart	2.5 plants
50cm apart	2 plants
60cm apart	Around 1.5–2 plants

For most everyday hedge planting, we would expect somewhere between 2 and 3 Griselinia plants per metre when using reasonably established pot-grown plants.

Smaller plants can be planted more densely if quicker initial coverage is important.

Why does plant size affect spacing?

A 40cm young Griselinia and a bushy 1.5m specimen clearly do not occupy the same amount of space.

Smaller plants have:

• narrower root systems
• less side growth
• more open space between plants
• longer to grow before neighbouring branches meet

Larger plants already have considerable width, so planting them too close together can create unnecessary competition and overcrowding almost immediately.

When planning a hedge, we recommend looking at the actual width and maturity of the plants, rather than choosing spacing based purely on their height.

Two plants can be the same height but have very different widths depending on how they have been grown.

Should you plant Griselinia at 30cm apart?

Planting Griselinia around 30cm apart can work well, particularly for smaller plants where a dense hedge is wanted relatively quickly.

At this spacing, you are using slightly more than three plants per metre.

We would consider this a relatively close spacing, so it is most appropriate when:

• the plants are young or relatively narrow
• quick coverage is important
• a dense formal hedge is required
• the planting line has been well prepared
• the plants will receive adequate water while establishing

For larger bushy plants, 30cm may be unnecessarily close.

Can you plant Griselinia 50cm apart?

Yes. Around 50cm apart is a very useful spacing for many pot-grown Griselinia hedges.

At this spacing you will need approximately two plants per metre.

This gives plants room for their roots and branches to develop while still allowing them to grow together into a continuous hedge.

It is particularly suitable for:

• medium-sized pot-grown plants
• established bushy specimens
• hedges where instant density is not essential
• situations where healthy long-term development is more important than filling every gap immediately

Griselinia grows relatively quickly once established, so moderate gaps between healthy plants should gradually close.

Can Griselinia be planted 1 metre apart?

For a conventional garden hedge, we would generally consider 1 metre apart too wide unless the plants are very large or semi-mature specimens.

Plants at this distance can eventually grow together, but the hedge is likely to remain open for considerably longer.

Wide spacing may make sense where:

• very large specimens are being planted
• the individual plants are already extremely bushy
• a looser screen rather than a formal hedge is wanted
• immediate privacy is not important

For smaller or medium-sized plants, we would usually reduce the spacing.

What happens if you plant Griselinia too far apart?

Plants that are too widely spaced can still grow successfully, but you may wait much longer for them to form a continuous screen.

Possible problems include:

• visible gaps for several years
• reduced privacy
• an uneven hedge appearance
• plants developing as individual shrubs rather than immediately knitting together
• the temptation to allow excessive side growth simply to close the gaps

If an existing hedge has been planted slightly wider than ideal, there is usually no need to dig everything up and start again. Healthy Griselinia will spread naturally as it matures.

Regular formative pruning can encourage branching and help neighbouring plants meet more effectively.

What happens if you plant Griselinia too close together?

Closer planting may create a fuller hedge quickly, but more plants does not automatically mean a better hedge.

If Griselinia is planted excessively tightly, the plants compete more strongly for:

• water
• nutrients
• root space
• light
• airflow

Dense planting can be particularly demanding during the first few summers because several root balls are drawing water from a relatively small area.

Very tight planting may also create an unnecessarily thick hedge later, resulting in more pruning and maintenance.

The aim should be good coverage, not cramming as many plants as possible into the space.

Will closer spacing make a Griselinia hedge grow faster?

Closer spacing will make the hedge look full more quickly, but it will not necessarily make the individual plants grow faster.

In fact, excessive competition can have the opposite effect.

The quickest route to a healthy, dense Griselinia hedge is usually a combination of:

• sensible spacing
• good soil preparation
• regular watering
• adequate light
• mulch and weed control
• formative pruning
• patience while the roots establish

Planting very closely cannot compensate for poor soil or inconsistent watering.

How far apart should small Griselinia plants be?

For smaller young plants, particularly those around 30–60cm high, we generally suggest planting more closely than larger specimens.

Around 25–35cm apart may be appropriate depending on their width and root size.

Small plants are economical and often establish very successfully because their root systems adapt quickly to the new ground. The trade-off is that they need more time to reach the height and width of larger plants.

Closer spacing helps create a continuous hedge sooner.

How far apart should 60–90cm Griselinia be planted?

Plants around 60–90cm high are a popular size for new domestic hedges because they offer a good balance between cost and initial impact.

For these, around 30–50cm apart will usually work well, depending on how bushy the plants are.

A common arrangement is around 3 plants per metre, particularly where reasonably quick screening is wanted.

If the plants are especially full and broad, slightly wider spacing may be perfectly adequate.

How far apart should larger Griselinia be planted?

Once plants reach around 1–1.5 metres or more, we recommend looking carefully at their actual width before deciding on spacing.

Larger plants may be positioned around 50–75cm apart, sometimes wider for particularly mature specimens.

At this size, forcing several large root balls into a short planting run can be counterproductive.

Larger plants need:

• enough prepared soil around the roots
• reliable watering
• adequate root space
• room for their existing branches
• good soil contact around each root ball

The goal is for neighbouring plants to overlap gradually as they settle and grow.

Single row or double row?

For the vast majority of domestic Griselinia hedges, we recommend a single row.

Griselinia naturally forms a dense evergreen screen and does not normally require double-row planting.

A single row is:

• cheaper
• easier to plant
• easier to water
• easier to mulch
• easier to trim
• less likely to become excessively wide
• usually more than sufficient for privacy

A double staggered row may occasionally be appropriate for a substantial windbreak or unusually wide screen, but it is rarely necessary for a normal garden boundary.

How far apart should a double row be?

Where a double row is genuinely required, the plants should be staggered rather than positioned directly opposite one another.

The exact spacing depends on the plant size and intended width of the finished screen, but enough room must be left between the rows for the roots and branches to develop.

Remember that a double row can eventually create a very broad hedge. Before planting one, consider whether you will still be able to trim and maintain both sides as the plants mature.

In many situations, slightly larger plants in a well-spaced single row will be a more practical solution.

How close should Griselinia be planted to a fence?

Do not plant Griselinia immediately against a fence.

Although a young plant may appear small, the finished hedge needs room for stems and branches to develop and for you to maintain the rear of the hedge where necessary.

The right distance depends on your intended finished width, but you should allow enough space to:

• avoid crushing growth against the fence
• allow airflow
• access the hedge for maintenance where possible
• prevent the hedge becoming excessively one-sided
• accommodate the mature width

If the hedge will ultimately be maintained around 60–100cm wide, think about where the centre line needs to sit so that the finished growth remains within the available space.

How far should Griselinia be planted from a wall?

Walls create similar issues to fences, with the additional possibility of a rain shadow where the soil immediately beside the wall receives less natural rainfall.

Avoid placing the plants so close that:

• the root ball is restricted
• foliage is permanently pressed against masonry
• the rear of the hedge receives no light
• watering becomes difficult
• future trimming is impossible

Remember that a newly planted hedge may need particularly careful watering when planted near a wall because the soil can be much drier than the rest of the garden.

How close can Griselinia be planted to a path or driveway?

Allow for the finished width, not simply the size of the plant at planting time.

If plants are positioned immediately beside a path, they may quickly begin growing across it and need unnecessarily frequent cutting.

Before setting out the planting line, decide approximately how wide you want the mature hedge to be. Position the centre of the plants far enough back that half of that finished width can develop without obstructing the path.

This simple planning step prevents a great deal of future pruning.

Does hedge height affect planting spacing?

The desired height can influence how densely you choose to plant, although starting plant size remains more important.

A low decorative hedge does not necessarily need the same density as a tall privacy screen. However, planting a very tall hedge at extremely close spacing can create heavy competition between mature plants.

For a tall Griselinia screen, we prefer giving plants enough root space to develop strongly and using good formative pruning to create density rather than relying solely on very close planting.

Healthy, well-branched plants make a better long-term screen than overcrowded plants struggling for resources.

Does Griselinia growth rate affect spacing?

Yes. Griselinia is relatively quick to establish and can typically produce around 20–40cm of growth per year once settled and growing in favourable conditions.

This means slightly wider gaps will gradually fill.

You do not normally need to plant Griselinia at extremely close spacing simply because the hedge looks open on planting day.

A new hedge is supposed to grow into its space.

Giving it adequate room allows the plants to develop strong root systems and helps create a healthier finished hedge.

How quickly will the gaps close?

This depends on:

• plant size
• spacing
• annual growth
• soil quality
• sunlight
• exposure
• watering
• pruning

A hedge planted at approximately 30–50cm centres using healthy medium-sized plants should begin knitting together as new side growth develops.

Do not focus solely on height during this stage. Light formative trimming of side shoots encourages branching and can help the hedge fill the spaces between plants.

The first year may involve more root establishment than visible top growth. Growth often becomes stronger once the plants have settled.

Mark the spacing before you start digging

One of the easiest ways to achieve an even hedge is to set out every plant before digging the holes.

We recommend:

1. Measure the total hedge length.
2. Calculate the number of plants required.
3. Stretch a string line along the planting route.
4. Mark equal planting centres.
5. Position the potted plants along the line.
6. Stand back and check the spacing visually.
7. Adjust where necessary before planting.

Do not simply start at one end and estimate the distance between each plant. Small spacing errors accumulate, and you may find yourself with either too many plants or a large gap at the far end.

How to calculate how many Griselinia plants you need

First measure the hedge length in metres.

You can then multiply the length by your chosen number of plants per metre.

For example:

• 5 metre hedge at 2 plants per metre = 10 plants
• 5 metre hedge at 3 plants per metre = 15 plants
• 10 metre hedge at 2 plants per metre = 20 plants
• 10 metre hedge at 3 plants per metre = 30 plants

For awkward hedge lengths, round sensibly and then space the plants evenly across the entire run.

It is better to adjust all the gaps slightly than leave one large gap at the end.

Should you buy more plants for faster privacy?

Sometimes, but only within reason.

Moving from two plants per metre to three may give a noticeably fuller initial result when using relatively small plants.

Going far beyond the appropriate density provides diminishing returns and increases:

• plant cost
• planting time
• water requirements
• root competition
• future congestion

If instant screening is important, buying larger or semi-mature Griselinia may make more sense than packing excessive numbers of small plants into the same space.

Common Griselinia spacing mistakes

The mistakes we most often recommend avoiding are:

• using the same spacing regardless of plant size
• planting very small plants too widely
• cramming large specimens together
• planting against a fence without allowing for future width
• assuming more plants always produce a better hedge
• forgetting to measure the whole hedge line first
• creating one large gap at the end of the row
• planting a double row where a single row would be sufficient
• ignoring access for future trimming
• planning around the current plant width instead of the finished hedge width

A few minutes spent planning spacing before planting can save years of unnecessary maintenance.

What spacing do we recommend?

For most garden Griselinia hedges, our starting point would be:

• small plants: approximately 25–35cm apart
• medium pot-grown plants: approximately 30–50cm apart
• larger specimens: approximately 50–75cm apart
• very large or instant hedging: space according to the actual width and specification of the plants supplied

For many standard pot-grown Griselinia plants, around 2–3 plants per metre will create a good hedge.

The exact spacing should always be adjusted to suit the size and width of the plants you are buying.

Final thoughts

For most Griselinia hedges, plants should be spaced roughly 30–50cm apart, although smaller plants can be positioned more closely and larger specimens further apart.

The aim is not to eliminate every gap on planting day. Griselinia is a relatively fast-growing, bushy evergreen hedge and will naturally fill the available space once established.

Avoid the temptation to overcrowd the hedge simply to achieve instant coverage. Good soil preparation, correct watering and formative pruning are just as important as spacing when creating a dense screen.

Choose the spacing according to the actual plants being used, set out the entire row before planting and allow enough room for healthy development. Done properly, the plants will grow together to form one continuous, dense Griselinia hedge.

For more Griselinia Advice, see our other articles: