Lilly Pilly Privacy Hedge Spacing: Complete Guide

Proper spacing affects multiple aspects of hedge performance:

• •**Growth rate**: Overcrowded plants compete for resources, potentially slowing overall development
• •**Density**: Correct spacing allows branches to interlock for solid screening
• •**Health**: Adequate airflow reduces fungal disease risk
• •**Longevity**: Well-spaced hedges generally live longer and require less renovation
• •**Maintenance**: Appropriately spaced hedges are easier to prune and maintain

The "right" spacing depends on your target hedge height, the variety's mature width, your budget, and how quickly you need results.

Use this table as a starting point for planning your privacy hedge. Adjust based on your specific variety's expected mature width and site conditions:

There's an inherent trade-off between spacing, density, and speed:

• •**Closer spacing (lower end of range)**: Faster fill-in, higher initial cost, potentially more competition as plants mature
• •**Wider spacing (upper end of range)**: Slower fill-in, lower initial cost, more room for each plant to develop
• •**Very wide spacing beyond recommendations**: May never form a solid screen, individual specimen plants instead

For privacy hedges, most Australian gardeners opt for spacing at the closer end of the recommended range. This usually means 0.8-1.2m apart for typical 1.5-2.5m privacy hedges, depending on variety.

To determine the best spacing for your privacy hedge:

1. **Identify your target height**: Taller screens generally tolerate wider spacing. Low privacy hedges need closer planting for density.

1. **Research your variety's mature width**: This varies significantly. Some dwarf types reach 0.5-0.8m wide, while vigorous varieties can exceed 3m. Use mature width as your minimum spacing guide.

1. **Assess your budget and timeline**: If privacy is urgent and budget allows, closer spacing with smaller plants or wider spacing with advanced plants are both valid strategies.

1. **Consider your site**: Poor soil, exposed conditions, or very hot/dry situations may benefit from slightly closer spacing to compensate for stress.

1. **Plan for airflow**: Particularly in humid areas, avoid planting so densely that airflow is completely blocked. This increases disease risk.

For extra-thick privacy screens, some gardeners use staggered double-row planting:

• •**Single-row**: Standard approach. Plants in one line. Requires the spacing recommendations in the table above. Easier to maintain and uses fewer plants.

• •**Double-row staggered**: Two rows with plants offset. Creates dense screening faster. Uses approximately twice as many plants. Can be harder to maintain as hedge matures.

Double-row planting makes sense for: * High-wind areas where density provides windbreak benefits * Properties where maximum screening is critical (e.g., near busy roads) * Situations where budget is not a constraint

For most suburban privacy situations, single-row planting at appropriate spacing is sufficient.

Avoid these spacing errors that compromise long-term hedge success:

• •**Ignoring mature width**: Planting based on current size rather than eventual size leads to overcrowding and competition as plants develop.

• •**Uniform spacing for all situations**: Using the same spacing for a 1m hedge as a 4m screen doesn't account for different growth habits and requirements.

• •**Assuming closer is always better**: Overcrowding stresses plants, reduces individual plant health, and can increase pest and disease pressure.

• •**Forgetting airflow**: Particularly in humid climates, very dense planting without airflow management creates ideal conditions for fungal issues.

• •**Not adjusting for site**: Challenging sites (poor soil, extreme exposure) may need adjusted spacing or improved soil preparation to support healthy growth.