Planting a new landscape can be a lot of fun. I always enjoy seeing the ideas that we have become reality. However, something that I see homeowners occasionally do is not use the correct plant spacing.
Why is correct plant spacing a big deal, you may ask. It has to do with the use of the space and the proper installation and care of the plants. If proper spacing can cause problems in the future when the plant is getting too big for the location. The problem can be for the plant and its health, or it can be the space becomes unusable because the plant is overcrowding the area, like blocking a pathway.
The biggest reason I hear after the plants have grown is that ‘they were not that big when I planted them’. Which is true. However, plants are living things and they are going to grow. Even if they were not that big to start, they will get to about the size that is listed on the plant tag when you bought it.
What can be done if they are too close together? Transplanting them to the proper spacing is a good start, however, transplanting plants can result in plant loss. It is not a guarantee. If the plants are becoming too big for the location, maybe it is time to start to think about redoing the landscape all together. Then, the best thing to do is to plant them at the correct spacing right from the start.