You picked the perfect privacy trees. They arrived in great shape. Now what?
Planting a privacy screen is not complicated, but doing it right the first time saves you years of frustration. A little planning up front means a thick, uniform screen that fills in faster and looks better from day one.
Here is the complete step-by-step process for planting a privacy screen that actually works.
Before You Dig: Planning Your Privacy Screen Layout
Step 1: Measure the Run and Mark Your Line
Grab a tape measure, some stakes, and mason's line. Walk the property line (or wherever your screen is going) and measure the total distance. Drive a stake at each end and pull a string line between them.
This line is your guide for keeping everything straight. Even a small wobble in the row gets magnified once plants mature, and a crooked screen looks off for decades. If you are running along a fence line or property boundary, set your stakes 3 to 4 feet inside the line so mature growth does not overhang onto your neighbor's side.
Step 2: Call 811 Before You Dig
This is not optional. Call 811 at least 48 hours before you start digging. They will come out and mark buried utilities for free. Hitting a gas line or fiber optic cable turns a weekend project into an expensive disaster. Mark the utility locations with flags so you can see them while you work.
Step 3: Choose Your Spacing and Row Configuration
There are two approaches to spacing a privacy screen: single row and staggered double row.
Single Row is the most common setup. Plant trees in a straight line at the recommended spacing for the variety. This works well when you have enough room and choose the right species. Most homeowners go this route.
Staggered Double Row creates a denser screen faster. You plant two rows, offset so the trees in the back row fill the gaps between the front row. Each row is spaced at 1.5 times the normal single-row spacing, and the two rows sit 3 to 5 feet apart. This uses more plants but fills in much quicker and creates an almost impenetrable barrier.
Spacing by variety:
- Green Giant Arborvitae - Zones 5-8, 40-60 ft tall, 12-20 ft wide. Single row: 5 to 6 feet apart. Double row: 8 feet apart in each row.
- Emerald Green Arborvitae - Zones 3-8, 12-15 ft tall, 3-4 ft wide. Single row: 3 to 4 feet apart. Double row: 5 feet apart in each row.
- Leyland Cypress - Zones 6-10, 40-60 ft tall, 15-25 ft wide. Single row: 6 to 8 feet apart. Double row: 10 feet apart in each row.
Divide your total run length by the spacing to figure out how many plants you need. For a staggered double row, calculate each row separately and add them together.
Planting Day: Step by Step
Step 4: Dig the Holes
Each hole should be 2 to 3 times wider than the root ball, but only as deep as the root ball is tall. This is the single most important detail in the whole process. A wide, shallow hole gives roots loose soil to grow into sideways, which is the direction they naturally want to go.
If you are planting more than a handful of trees, rent a post-hole auger for the initial holes and then widen them with a spade. Your back will thank you.
Score the sides of each hole with your spade so roots can penetrate the surrounding soil. Smooth, glazed hole walls act like a pot and the roots just circle instead of spreading out.
Step 5: Remove the Container and Prep the Root Ball
Tip the container on its side and slide the plant out. Never pull a tree out by the trunk.
Examine the root ball. If you see roots circling around the outside, score them with a utility knife in 3 or 4 vertical cuts about an inch deep. This breaks the circling pattern and tells the roots to grow outward. Container-grown plants sometimes develop a dense mat of roots at the bottom. Slice that off or tease it apart with your fingers.
If the root ball is dry, set it in a bucket of water for 15 to 20 minutes before planting. A dry root ball repels water and makes it nearly impossible to get moisture to the center after planting.
Step 6: Plant at the Right Depth
Lower the plant into the hole and check the depth. The top of the root ball should sit level with the surrounding soil grade, or even a half inch above. You want to see where the trunk flares out at the base. That root flare should be visible, not buried.
Planting too deep is the number one killer of newly planted trees and shrubs. When the root flare is buried, the bark stays wet, inviting rot and disease. If the hole is too deep, add soil back and firm it up before setting the plant in. Do not rely on the soil settling because it will, and it will pull the tree down with it.
Step 7: Backfill and Water
Fill the hole with the same native soil you dug out. Do not amend it with compost, peat, or potting mix. Amendments create a "bathtub effect" where water collects in the amended zone and drowns roots. You want roots to grow out into the native soil, not stay in a cushy pocket.
Backfill in stages. Add soil to about one-third depth, then water it in to settle out air pockets. Add another third, water again. Finish filling to grade and give the whole area a deep soak. You want to see water pooling and slowly absorbing, not running off.
Build a small soil berm (2 to 3 inches tall) in a ring around the outer edge of the root ball. This creates a basin that holds water right over the root zone during the critical establishment period.
Step 8: Mulch the Right Way
Spread 3 to 4 inches of organic mulch (shredded bark, wood chips, or pine straw) over the entire planting area. For a privacy row, mulch a continuous strip at least 3 feet wide centered on the tree line.
Here is the rule everyone needs to tattoo on their forearm: donut, not volcano. Pull mulch back 4 to 6 inches from each trunk. Mulch piled against the bark holds moisture, invites fungal infection, and attracts boring insects. You will see mulch volcanoes everywhere. Do not copy them. They kill trees slowly.
Step 9: Stake If Needed
Most container-grown privacy trees do not need staking. The root ball provides enough stability on its own. Stake only if the tree is top-heavy and your site gets consistent wind.
If you do stake, use two stakes on opposite sides of the tree, outside the root ball. Connect them with wide, flexible straps (not wire or rope). The tree should be able to sway slightly in the wind. Movement builds a stronger trunk.
Remove stakes after one year. Trees left staked too long develop weak trunks and become dependent on the support. Set a reminder in your phone the day you plant.
Step 10: First-Year Watering Schedule
This is where most privacy screens fail. People plant correctly, then forget about watering. The first year is everything.
Weeks 1 through 4: Water deeply 2 to 3 times per week. Each session should saturate the entire root ball and surrounding soil.
Months 2 through 6: Water deeply once or twice per week, depending on rainfall and temperature. In hot weather, lean toward twice.
Months 7 through 12: Taper to once per week in warm weather. Evergreens still need water heading into winter, especially if fall is dry.
Deep soaking beats frequent light watering every time. A soaker hose snaked along the base of your privacy row is the easiest setup. Put it on a battery timer and stop thinking about it.
Single Row vs. Double Row: Which Should You Choose?
Single row works for most situations. It is simpler, uses fewer plants, and takes up less space. If you pick a naturally dense variety like Emerald Green Arborvitae and space it correctly, a single row will give you a solid screen within a few years.
Double row makes sense when you need maximum density fast, when you are screening from an elevated neighbor (two rows at different heights block angled sight lines), or when you want a screen that stays thick from top to bottom. It costs more and takes more space but delivers a wall of green that nothing gets through.
Best Time to Plant a Privacy Screen
Spring and fall are the prime windows. Spring gives trees the full growing season to establish roots before winter. Fall planting works well too because cool air reduces stress while soil is still warm enough for root growth.
Container-grown plants (which is what you will get from Nature Hills) can actually go in any time the ground is not frozen. That is one of the big advantages over field-dug stock. Your trees arrive with an intact root system, ready to grow the day you plant them.
Avoid planting in the dead of summer heat if you can. If you must, just be extremely diligent about watering.
Common Privacy Screen Planting Mistakes
- Planting too deep. The root flare must be at or slightly above grade. Burying it leads to trunk rot and slow decline.
- Spacing too tight. It feels like the right move when trees are small, but crowded trees compete for light and water. Lower branches die out, which defeats the whole point of a privacy screen.
- Amending the backfill. Rich potting mix in the hole creates a drainage problem. Use native soil.
- Mulch volcanoes. Three words: donut, not volcano.
- Inconsistent watering. One deep soak per week does more good than spraying the leaves for five minutes every day.
- Skipping the utility locate. One phone call to 811 saves you from a nightmare.
- Planting directly on the property line. Set your screen back 3 to 4 feet to account for mature width and avoid disputes.
How Long Until My Privacy Screen Fills In?
This depends entirely on the species you choose and how well you care for them in the first two years.
- Green Giant Arborvitae - Zones 5-8, 40-60 ft tall. The speed champion. Grows 3 to 5 feet per year once established. A row planted at 5-foot spacing will start touching within 2 to 3 years and form a solid wall by year 4 or 5.
- Emerald Green Arborvitae - Zones 3-8, 12-15 ft tall. Slower but tighter. Grows about 1 foot per year. Planted at 3-foot spacing, expect a filled-in screen in 3 to 4 years. The narrow, dense form means fewer gaps even before they grow together.
- Leyland Cypress - Zones 6-10, 40-60 ft tall. Fast grower at 3 to 4 feet per year. Fills in quickly but gets very large. Best for properties with room to spare.
The universal accelerator? Water consistently and mulch well. Trees that never go thirsty in the first two years will grow noticeably faster than neglected ones.
Ready to Build Your Privacy Screen?
Browse our full Privacy Trees and Privacy Shrubs collections to find the right fit for your property. Every plant ships container-grown with an intact root system, ready to go in the ground the day it arrives.
Need help choosing the right variety or figuring out how many plants you need? Give our plant experts a call. We do this all day long.
