How Far Apart Should You Plant Emerald Cedars?

Emerald Cedars are one of the most popular choices for creating privacy hedges in Toronto and the GTA. Their dense evergreen foliage, narrow upright shape, and year-round colour make them ideal for backyard fences, property lines, pools, patios, and other areas where additional privacy is needed.

One of the most common questions we receive at Z Force Farm is:

How far apart should Emerald Cedars be planted?

For most residential privacy hedges, we generally recommend planting Emerald Cedars approximately 2.5 to 3 feet apart, measured from the centre of one tree to the centre of the next.

However, there is no single spacing that works for every project. The ideal spacing depends on the size and current width of the cedars, how quickly you want privacy, and whether you prefer a continuous hedge or a more natural look where each tree maintains its individual shape.

At Z Force Farm, we carry Emerald Cedar trees in a range of sizes, including larger specimens for homeowners looking for more immediate privacy.

Recommended Emerald Cedar Spacing

As a general guideline:

2 ft centre-to-centre: Best when you want a very dense privacy screen and faster coverage.

2.5 ft centre-to-centre: A good choice for creating a dense privacy hedge while still providing reasonable growing space.

3 ft centre-to-centre: One of the most common choices for residential privacy hedges, providing a good balance between privacy and growing room.

3.5–4 ft centre-to-centre: Better suited to larger and wider Emerald Cedars, especially when you want to maintain more of the individual cone shape of each tree.

These are general recommendations. The actual width of the trees should always be considered before deciding on the final spacing.

Should Emerald Cedars Be Planted 2 or 3 Feet Apart?

Both spacing options can work, but they create different results.

If your main goal is to achieve a dense privacy screen as quickly as possible, planting the trees approximately 2 to 2.5 feet centre-to-centre can help the hedge fill in sooner.

If you want to give the trees a little more room to develop naturally while still creating a continuous privacy hedge, approximately 3 feet centre-to-centre is often a good choice.

The size of the cedar also makes a big difference.

A smaller Emerald Cedar may be relatively narrow when planted, while an 8–10 ft or 10–11 ft Emerald Cedar can already have substantial width. Larger and fuller trees generally do not need to be planted as tightly as smaller trees.

How Far Apart Should Large Emerald Cedars Be Planted?

When planting larger Emerald Cedars, spacing becomes particularly important.

Large cedars already provide significant coverage at the time of installation. Planting them too closely can cause unnecessary crowding as the trees continue to develop.

For larger and fuller Emerald Cedars, approximately 3 to 3.5 feet centre-to-centre can often provide a good balance between immediate privacy and long-term appearance.

If you prefer to see the individual cone shape of each cedar while allowing the lower branches to eventually touch, slightly wider spacing may create a more attractive finished hedge.

You can view our current Emerald Cedar selection and available sizes before deciding which size and spacing will work best for your property.

How Many Emerald Cedars Do I Need?

A simple way to estimate the number of Emerald Cedars required is:

Length of planting area ÷ desired centre-to-centre spacing

For example, if your planting area is approximately 30 feet long and you plan to space your cedars approximately 3 feet apart, you would need roughly 10 Emerald Cedars.

For a 60-foot planting area at approximately 3-foot spacing, you would need roughly 20 trees.

For a 100-foot planting area, approximately 33–34 trees may be required at 3-foot spacing.

These numbers are only estimates. The exact quantity can change depending on the actual width of the trees, where the first and last cedars will be positioned, gates, corners, existing plants, and other site conditions.

For larger projects, we recommend measuring the planting area before ordering.

How Far Should Emerald Cedars Be Planted From a Fence?

Emerald Cedars should not be planted directly against a fence.

The branches need enough room to develop, and leaving adequate clearance also makes watering, trimming, and future maintenance easier.

The appropriate distance from the fence depends on the current width and expected growth of the cedar. Larger trees generally require more clearance than smaller specimens.

When planning your hedge, consider both the distance between each cedar and the distance between the cedars and the fence or property line.

Planning both correctly will help create a healthier and more attractive hedge over the long term.

Is Closer Spacing Always Better for Privacy?

Not necessarily.

It is easy to assume that planting Emerald Cedars as close together as possible will create the best privacy hedge, but closer is not always better.

Cedars still need adequate room for their roots and branches to develop. Planting them unnecessarily close together can increase competition for water, nutrients, root space, and sunlight.

The goal is to create enough overlap for good privacy while still giving each tree enough room to establish and grow properly.

This is why we recommend considering the actual width and fullness of the trees, rather than choosing spacing based only on their height.

What Size Emerald Cedar Is Best for Privacy?

The right size depends mainly on how quickly you want privacy and your budget.

Smaller Emerald Cedars are generally more economical but require additional time to develop into a tall and established privacy screen.

Larger Emerald Cedars provide a much more immediate effect.

Homeowners looking to screen neighbouring properties, backyard fences, pools, patios, decks, or windows often choose larger specimens because much of the desired privacy can be achieved immediately after installation.

Z Force Farm carries Emerald Cedars for sale in Toronto and the GTA in multiple sizes throughout the season, subject to availability.

How Long Does It Take for an Emerald Cedar Hedge to Fill In?

The amount of time required depends on the starting size of the trees, their spacing, growing conditions, watering, and ongoing maintenance.

Trees planted closer together will visually connect sooner, while trees planted farther apart will take longer to create a continuous hedge.

Larger Emerald Cedars can provide substantial privacy immediately, particularly when the trees are already wide and full at the time of planting.

Regardless of the size you choose, proper watering after planting is extremely important. Newly planted cedars need consistent moisture while their root systems become established.

Emerald Cedar Spacing for Toronto & GTA Properties

Every property is different.

Soil conditions, drainage, sunlight, existing tree roots, fences, available planting width, and the desired level of privacy should all be considered before deciding on the final spacing.

For Toronto and GTA homeowners, we generally recommend planning the hedge based on the actual size and width of the Emerald Cedars being purchased, rather than relying only on one universal spacing rule.

This is especially important when purchasing larger, mature cedars.

Two Emerald Cedars of the same height can have noticeably different widths depending on how they were grown. Looking only at height can result in the trees being planted either too close together or too far apart.

Emerald Cedar Delivery & Professional Planting

Z Force Farm supplies Emerald Cedars for residential privacy hedges and landscaping projects throughout Toronto and surrounding areas.

We offer Emerald Cedars in a range of sizes, along with delivery and professional planting services for customers who would like a complete privacy hedge installation.

For installation projects, our team can help determine the appropriate number of trees and spacing based on the length of your planting area, cedar size and width, desired privacy level, existing landscape conditions, and fence or property-line location.

The goal is to create a hedge that provides great privacy while still giving the trees appropriate space for healthy long-term growth.

Shop Emerald Cedars in Toronto

Looking for Emerald Cedars for your backyard, property line, pool area, or privacy hedge?

Shop our current Emerald Cedar selection →

Z Force Farm offers Emerald Cedars in multiple sizes, with pickup, delivery, and professional planting options available.

We serve Toronto, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Stouffville, Aurora, North York, Scarborough, Ajax, and surrounding GTA communities.

If you're unsure how many Emerald Cedars you need, measure the approximate length of your planting area and contact us. We can help recommend the appropriate tree size, quantity, and spacing for your project.