Tree Spacing Worksheet
Space on the MATURE spread from the tag. The gap that looks absurd today is the one that looks right in fifteen years.
BFCBrilliance · bfcbrilliance.com/tools/tree-spacing-calculator
The arithmetic
- Trunk to trunk
- (spread A + spread B) ÷ 2
- Plus any gap you want
- path, mower, light to the ground
- Distance from a wall
- half the spread + clearance
- Trees along a run
- run ÷ spacing, + 1 for both ends
- Ground per tree
- spacing², on a square grid
- 1 acre
- 43,560 sq ft
- ⚠ Mature spread
- from the TAG, not the pot
- ⚠ Wall clearance is CANOPY only
- roots go further
- ⚠ Services and overhead lines
- your utility's rules, not this
This planting
- Date
- Species and cultivar
- Rootstock
- Mature spread from the tag
- Neighbour's mature spread
- Gap wanted
- SPACING
- Run length
- TREES IN THE RUN
- Clearance wanted
- DISTANCE FROM WALL
What you planted, and where
| Tree | Species | Mature spread | Spacing used | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Before you dig
- Mature spread taken from the tag, not judged from the pot
- Rootstock noted - it changes the final size substantially
- Screen or specimen decided BEFORE the spacing
- Looked up for overhead lines
- Underground services located
- Local setback rules for boundaries and structures checked
- Clay soil and foundation distance considered if relevant
- Access left for mowing, picking and pruning at maturity
- Neighbour's side considered - branches and roots cross boundaries
- Temporary fillers chosen that you are willing to remove
Plant for the tree you will have
A tree four feet across in the pot may finish at twenty-five. The spacing that feels right on planting day is almost always too tight, and by the time it shows the options are removal or permanent corrective pruning. If the gaps look bare, fill them with something short-lived you are genuinely willing to take out.
Roots go further than branches
The wall clearance here keeps BRANCHES off a building. Roots typically spread well beyond the canopy and are what argue with drains, paving and foundations. The distance that matters there comes from your local rules, your utility company and sometimes your insurer - and on shrinkable clay it can be considerable. Check before digging, not after.