How to Make Hedges From Arborvitae

Select arborvitae plants that are relatively young if you want to train and knit them together in a tight or formal shaped hedge. Older and larger plants will give you a finished hedge more quickly but will cost more.

Plant arborvitaes intended for long-term hedging in nutrient-rich soil that has been amended with several pounds each of compost and well-aged manure.

Space the shrubs in a linear or curved row at intervals of no closer than 2 feet, to allow the plants to reach their minimum mature spread of roughly 24 inches.

If desired, begin to train your arborvitae plants into a formal hedge shape with pruning, one month to six weeks after planting. By then the plants will have had time to acclimate and root into the soil a bit.

Shape your nascent hedge with long-blade manual or electric shears to establish the top shape, be it flat or rounded. Shear the sides if desired, holding the cutting blade roughly parallel with the surface of the shrub to create a flat-plane cut.

Maintain at least a slightly broader base at the bottom of the hedge than at the top, to allow sunlight to reach the lower portion of the plants. That will help to keep the foliage healthy, dense and green.