Knowledgebase
Spruce tree planting/transplanting #744534
Asked April 15, 2021, 3:14 PM EDT
Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
If planted too close, poor air circulation will create conditions for tree disease and disease spread. And too close plantings may not be growing at optimum rates as they compete for nutrients.
Without a diagram I can’t say for sure that they are too close, especially when they are staggered but the U of MN recommends 20’ spacing based on mature size at the following website. Usually the point of staggering trees is to plant them farther apart for circulation and still have a privacy/wind break.
So if you plant them at the minimum distance, they will not look staggered but very dense. A factor is whether or not and how you are alternating the trees or planting a row farther back. Another factor is whether or not you plan to prune them regularly to control size.
See: https://extension.umn.edu/agroforestry/trees-shrubs-windbreaks