White vinyl fences are clean, low-maintenance, and long-lasting, but they tend to leave something to be desired in the interest department. When a homeowner grew tired of her basic backyard fence, she reached out to the team at Ask This Old House for help. With fast-growing arborvitae variations in tow, landscape contractor Lee Gilliam knew just what to do.
How to Plant an Arborvitae Row
- If you have other features in the yard, such as garden beds or other plant rows, measure their distances from the fence so you can match the aesthetic with the new arborvitae.
- Use a tape measure and marking paint to measure and mark the distance of the new bed from the fence.
- Within the marked area, use a gas-powered sod cutter to cut through the roots of the grass so it’s easy to remove. Rake and remove the grass from the soil.
- Use a gas-powered roto tiller to dig down into the soil within the bed. This will loosen up the packed dirt, introduce oxygen into the soil, and make planting easier.
- Spread fertilizer and compost in the bed and turn the soil to mix it into the ground.
- Measure your arborvitae’s root ball (height and width) and dig a hole about twice as wide and about 1 inch less deep.
- Remove the plants from their containers and scratch the roots loose on the sides with the hand cultivator.
- Place the tree in the hole. The top of the rootball should sit about an inch higher than the soil around it. Backfill the hole with soil, fertilizer, and compost.
- Repeat the entire process at your desired spacing. Arborvitae planted approximately 5 to 6 feet from one another will grow into a thick, consistent hedge.
- Spread organic mulch around the garden bed. Aim for a depth of about 2 inches.
- Water the new row once a day for two weeks so the roots can spread and establish themselves.
Materials
Tools
A gas-powered roto-tiller can be rented to aerate and break up the soil to make it easier to prepare for planting the arborvitae.
Resources
Trees
- Green Giant, an arborvitae, the tree selected for planting.
- Emerald Green, an arborvitae, is one of the planting options Lee gave our homeowner.
- Dark American, an arborvitae, another planting option Lee gave our homeowner. This tree can be found at a local nursery.
Other tools and materials
- Alternatively, a grub axe can be used as well to cut sod by hand.
- A rake is also used to discard material and spread fertilizer.
- An N95 mask was used to mask the smell coming from the roto-tiller. It is also used as a safety precaution, as the dirt and grass can be prevented from entering one’s lungs.
- The Evergreen Arborvitae fertilizer was used by Lee and the homeowner for the best growth possible.
