How Far Apart When Planting a Hedge?

Q. How far apart should I plant my hedge shrubs to make a hedge?

A. It depends on the plant but a general rule of thumb for shrubs that grow just as wide as they are tall is to plant them the same distance as their mature height. If you plant them this far apart they will grow up touching each other. If you want them to fill in faster, then plant them a bit closer.

Pruning shrubs with a hedge shears tells me you don't know how to prune.

            Planting them too close together causes them to grow together but they will shade each other. That’s not a problem for the hedge but you will spend more money than you need to in plants.

These shrubs were planted too close together. You can tell because its all a bunch of wood stems at the base. A way to correct this problem now is to remove every other shrub and cut them back to their distance apart and cut the biggest branches to about 8 inches off of the ground. The hedge should fill in again in 2 to 3 years depending on how fast they grow.