The distance between each plant at planting all depends on the size of your arborvitae, which varies significantly among cultivars. The general rule of thumb is to space them based on their width. For example, our Full Speed A Hedge’ American Pillar’ arborvitae reach 5 feet wide, so you should plant them with their centers 5 feet apart.
However, if you’re looking for a lush privacy hedge that fills in fast, you can plant them even closer. The minimum spacing should be the plant width divided in half. Therefore, if you want a dense Full Speed A Hedge’ American Pillar’ hedge, you can plant them with their centers 2.5 feet apart. If you’re growing a hedge of arborvitae, the minimum spacing is definitely recommended.