Probably an easy question, but it's got me scratching my head: I've run across a few cases where plant tags provide the spread of a plant, but not the spacing. Would the spacing always be the same distance as the spread? Also, in cases where the spread is a large possible range, such as 3-6 feet, is there a general rule for how close to plant? Do you assume the largest end of the range, the middle, or smallest? Thanks!
Hi...spread and spacing can be confusing that's for sure. Here's what I do. I am very careful with shrubs and trees to pay attention to the spacing and I use the internet to double check that the tags are accurate (usually they are close in suggestions for spread). In my climate plants can very quickly grow out of bounds and it is always a pain to have to start moving big shrubs and trees around. So what I do is plant taking care to give lots of room for growth. I use perrenials such as hostas, lady's mantle, iris, etc. as filler plants--those plants that can be easily moved and I am often dividing anyway. HOpe this helps, B
Plants to be viewed as isolated specimens (accent points) are spaced widely and well away from one another, those being planted as part of a grouping (drift, mass or hedge) are put close to one another - the grouping being the feature rather than the individual plants that make up the grouping. Grouped shrubs will often be installed much more closely that the suggested spacing/spread. For good balance in mixed planting bold shrubs with large leaves are used sparingly, maybe only once in an area, medium texture shrubs with intermediate leaf sizes in moderate amounts, and small-leaved shrubs in large amounts. Maybe a couple hybrid rhododendrons, half a dozen or more pieris, and a couple dozen Japanese holly, for instance (many plantings will have greater variety, of course).
It's flexible. Suppose Douglas fir trees grow to 40' wide, you could still plant them 15' apart if you wanted too as a grove and just prune off brown shaded limbs. And you could plant them 100' apart if you wanted to. If you were to do assuming, assume on the largest number since many sources seem to list too small a dimension. For example, check out the 50' wide Mt. Fuji cherry on this page... www.mdvaden.com/mt_fuji.shtml Oregon State University's pages listed more like 20' wide. Although, now they added reference to a tree in Wilsonville after I emailed them - that particular tree.
