Plant Spacing Calculator & Garden Layout Planner
Plan your hedges, screens, and garden beds with confidence. Select your plant, set your bed dimensions, and click to place plants at the ideal spacing. No more guesswork – get the right number of plants the first time.
How to Calculate Plant Spacing for Your Garden
Getting plant spacing right is one of the most important factors in creating a healthy, attractive garden. Plant too close and your plants will compete for water, nutrients, and light. Plant too far apart and you'll have gaps in your hedge or bare soil showing through your garden bed.
This free plant spacing calculator takes the guesswork out of garden planning. Simply select your plant type, enter your bed dimensions, and visualise exactly how your planting layout will look at maturity.
Recommended Spacing for Popular Australian Plants
| Plant | Spacing | Mature Spread | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' | 1 metre | 1.5 metres | Privacy hedges, screening |
| Lilly Pilly 'Sublime' | 75cm | 1 metre | Compact hedges, borders |
| Murraya | 80cm | 1.2 metres | Formal hedges, fragrant screening |
| Photinia | 1 metre | 1.5 metres | Colourful hedges, screening |
| Lomandra | 60cm | 80cm | Mass planting, borders, slopes |
| Dianella | 50cm | 60cm | Ground cover, borders |
Tips for Successful Plant Spacing
For hedges: Space plants at about two-thirds of their mature width for a dense hedge that fills in within 2-3 years. Closer spacing creates privacy faster but may require more maintenance.
For garden beds: Allow plants to slightly overlap at maturity for a full, lush look without overcrowding. This typically means spacing at about 75-80% of the mature spread.
For mass planting: Ground covers and ornamental grasses like Lomandra and Dianella look best when planted in groups. Use our calculator to determine how many plants you'll need to cover your area.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart should I plant Lilly Pilly for a hedge?
For Lilly Pilly 'Resilience', plant 1 metre apart for a dense hedge. Smaller varieties like 'Sublime' can be planted at 75cm spacing. If you want faster coverage, you can plant slightly closer, but avoid spacing less than 60cm as this can cause long-term problems.
How many plants do I need for my garden bed?
The number depends on your bed size and the plant's recommended spacing. As a quick formula: divide your bed length by the spacing distance, add 1, then multiply by the number of rows. Our calculator does this automatically and shows you a visual layout.
What happens if I plant too close together?
Overcrowded plants compete for water, nutrients, and sunlight. This leads to stressed plants, increased disease risk (due to poor air circulation), leggy growth as plants stretch for light, and root competition. In severe cases, some plants may fail completely.
Can I plant closer for faster coverage?
Yes, but with caution. Planting 10-20% closer than recommended can speed up hedge establishment, but anything closer risks the problems above. You may also need to thin plants in a few years as they mature.