Plant spacing calculator
Pick a crop and your bed size to see how many plants fit, using rows, a square-foot grid, or offset spacing.
Defaults are tomato’s recommended spacing (24″ apart, rows 36″). Override either field for your own layout.
How this is calculated
Rows: plants per row = bed length ÷ in-row spacing (+1 for the first plant); rows = bed width ÷ row spacing. Total = plants per row × rows.
Square-foot grid: full squares in the bed × the crop’s plants-per-square figure (1 for a tomato, 4 for lettuce, 16 for carrots).
Offset (triangular): staggering every other row lets plants sit ~15% closer for the same spacing between neighbours.
Defaults come from each crop’s recommended spacing; override either field.
Common questions
Which spacing method gives the most plants?
Offset (triangular) spacing typically fits about 15% more plants than straight rows in the same area, since each row nestles into the gaps of the one before it.
Why does the square-foot grid give a different number than rows?
Square-foot gardening intentionally spaces some crops tighter than traditional row spacing, using all four sides of a square efficiently, so its plant counts are usually higher for compact crops like carrots and radishes.
Can I override the default spacing for a crop?
Yes - the defaults come from each crop's recommended spacing, but you can enter your own numbers if you're using a different variety or a tighter intensive-planting style.