Planting Arbor Vitae trees

[JKimel]

I want to plant 5 of these in row as shown. The problem is I have a 4" deep concrete slab that terminates where the fence is in this pic.

My question is how close can I plant these to the concrete slab without depriving them from water or their ability to grow.

[PhilJoines]

I planted some Blue Cone Arbor Vitae about 10 years ago. Going by mine I'd put them 10-15' out.

[JosephP]

The cultivar you are planting makes a difference...big or small?

I wouldn't worry too much about arborvitae roots damaging the concrete... (Not that you asked...just sayuomg this species isn't exactly silver maple in that regard).

I wouldnt have a concert if you planted them such that the center of the tree is18" to 2' from the concrete...but is that enough clearance for the slab?

Other variables that will impact the answer:
*Expected rainfall....which shouldn't be a problem in WI. Obviuosly if there is a drought, water the trees. Otherwise beyond the first couple of years they should fend for themselves with the rain they get.
*Soil quality...sandy soil dries out a lot faster.
What is on the other side of the trees? If they have plenty of rooting space, what they lack on the concrete side is not as important.
*Competition: will grass be planted tight up to the trunk? PROPER mulching can really make a big difference in how well a tree does. (NO volcano mulching please!). The wider the mulch area the better for the trees.
*Size of trees at transplant. Small trees are easier to start than bigger ones.

[Anthony W]

Depends on the variety. How big in diameter is the variety you are planting expected to be? The rule of thumb I was told was to plant items such as that based on the diameter (not the radius). If the variety you are planting gets to be 3 feet in diameter, then you should plant them 3 feet from the fence. The "extra 1.5 feet" allows for water, air, and light (if available) to circulate behind the shrub. Which is good not only for the plant, but also good for what you planting it next to.

[JKimel]

The directions say plant 3-4 feet apart which I can do. In 3 directions, they will have at minimum 4 feet and access to all the water they want. In 1 direction, only maybe that 10" from the concrete slab on one side to avoid planting them to far into the gravel driveway on the other side. I'm a stickler for not having tree branches slap me in the face every time I open the car door.

Thanks for the advice. I think they will be ok with proper mulch. The will also be by a fence but the fence is a chain link one.