Calculators · Plant Spacing Calculator

Landscaping

Plant Spacing Calculator

Enter your bed size and the spacing from the plant tag to see how many plants fit in a square, offset or row layout.

Bed length

Bed width

Pattern

Square and offset use one spacing. Rows uses two.

Space between plants

From the tag, center to center.

Vegetable

Optional. Fills the rows pattern from an extension service table.

Distance from the edge (in)

Optional. Empty means half a spacing in a bed and zero in a single row.

Spare plants (%)

Optional. Empty means 0.

How to calculate plant spacing

Spacing is the distance from the center of one plant to the center of the next. The tag, the seed packet or an extension service gives it for each plant. With that number and the size of the bed you can count how many plants fit, and there are two ways to do it. The quick one divides the bed area by the area one plant takes. The exact one places the plants and counts the whole ones that fit, which is what the calculator shows.

Pattern	Plants per area	Quick estimate
Square grid	1 plant per spacing × spacing	area ÷ spacing²
Offset (triangular)	1 plant per spacing × (spacing × 0.866)	area ÷ (spacing² × 0.866)
Rows	1 plant per plant spacing × row spacing	area ÷ (plant spacing × row spacing)
Single row	whole plants along the line	length ÷ spacing + 1

In an offset layout each row sits halfway between the plants of the row before it. The rows are spaced spacing × √3 ÷ 2, which is 0.866 times the spacing, so the plants form equilateral triangles. That fits 2 ÷ √3 = 1.1547 plants for every one in a square grid, about 15% more on a large area.

Whole plants and the edges

The exact count uses whole plants, so the edges matter. By default each plant gets its own cell, which puts the first plant half a spacing in from the edge of the bed. Type a distance in the edge box to change that. A distance of zero puts plants right on the edge, which adds one row and one column. In a single row the default is zero, so there is a plant at both ends and the count is the length ÷ spacing, rounded down, plus 1.

Bed, 12 inch spacing	Square	Offset	Quick estimate, square / offset
10 × 10 ft, half spacing from the edge	100	105	100 / 115.5
10 × 10 ft, plants on the edge	121	126	100 / 115.5
10 × 4 ft, half spacing from the edge	40	39	40 / 46.2
10 × 4 ft, plants on the edge	55	54	40 / 46.2

The offset layout wins by about 15% only when the bed is wide enough for many rows. In a small bed the edges decide, and the count also depends on which side the rows run along. The calculator tries both ways and shows the larger count, and the breakdown says which direction it used. In a 10 × 4 foot bed the rows along the 4 foot side hold 39 plants, against 38 with the rows along the 10 foot side, and a square grid holds 40. That is why the quick estimate overshoots in small beds. Use the exact count to buy.

Example: tomatoes in a 20 × 8 ft bed

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension lists tomatoes in rows 3 to 4 feet apart (36 to 48 inches) with the plants 2½ to 3 feet apart in the row (30 to 36 inches). The calculator takes the midpoints, 42 inches between rows and 33 inches between plants, when you choose Tomato in the vegetable list. The edge distance is half of each spacing by default.

Step	Operation	Result
Usable length	240 − 33 (half a spacing at each end)	207 in
Plants per row	207 ÷ 33 = 6.27, rounded down, plus 1	7
Usable width	96 − 42 (half a row spacing on each side)	54 in
Rows	54 ÷ 42 = 1.29, rounded down, plus 1	2
Plants	7 × 2	14

Vegetable spacing from an extension service

This table is from the Home Garden Planting Chart of University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, Bulletin 577, reviewed March 2022, and was checked in October 2026. The distances are written in inches here, and 12 inches is 1 foot. The chart’s planting dates are for Georgia and are not used. Your state’s extension service may give different numbers.

Vegetable	Between rows (in)	Between plants (in)
Bush bean	36	2 to 4
Pole bean	36	6 to 12
Beet	24 to 30	2
Broccoli	30	14 to 18
Cabbage	30	12
Carrot	24	2 to 3
Cauliflower	36	12 to 18
Collard	30	8 to 16
Corn	36 to 42	12 to 18
Cucumber	42 to 60	36 to 48
Eggplant	36	30 to 36
Kale	36	10
Lettuce	24 to 30	10 to 12
Okra	36 to 42	6
Onion (mature)	12 to 24	3 to 4
Pepper	30	18 to 24
Potato (Irish)	30 to 36	10 to 14
Radish	18	1
Spinach	18 to 24	1 to 2
Bush squash	36 to 48	24
Tomato	36 to 48	30 to 36
Watermelon	120	96 to 120

Choosing a vegetable fills the “Rows” pattern with the midpoint of each range. The midpoint is our own arithmetic, not a figure from the source, and you can type your own numbers.

Plants per square foot

Spacing	Square grid	Offset
4 in	9	10.39
6 in	4	4.62
8 in	2.25	2.60
9 in	1.78	2.05
12 in	1	1.15
18 in	0.44	0.51
24 in	0.25	0.29

Tips for planting

Use the spacing on the tag or seed packet first. The table here is a starting point for common vegetables.
Measure the bed after the edging is in, not before, since the usable width is what the count is based on.
Use the “Single row” tab for a hedge or a border, where the two end plants count.
Buy the number the exact count gives, plus the spares your nursery suggests. Prices change by plant and region, so this calculator shows none.
For beds of soil, mulch or stone around the plants, see the mulch calculator and the topsoil calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate plant spacing?

Measure the bed in inches and get the spacing from the plant tag, which is the distance from the center of one plant to the center of the next. In a square grid, divide the usable length by the spacing, round down and add 1, then do the same for the width, and multiply the two. A quick estimate is the bed area divided by the spacing squared, so a 100 square foot bed at 12 inches is about 100 plants.

How far apart should I space my plants?

It depends on the plant, so use the tag or seed packet. As examples, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension lists bush beans 2 to 4 inches apart, lettuce 10 to 12 inches, peppers 18 to 24 inches and tomatoes 30 to 36 inches, in rows 24 to 48 inches apart for these four crops. The calculator can fill a row layout from that table.

What is the ideal distance between two plants?

There is no single distance. The table from University of Georgia Cooperative Extension runs from 1 inch for radishes to 8 to 10 feet for watermelons. Measure from center to center, and use the number for your crop and variety. If the tag gives a range, the calculator can use the midpoint or the number you type.

How many plants fit in a 4 × 8 foot raised bed?

It depends on the spacing. In a square grid with plants half a spacing from the edges, 12 inches gives 8 × 4 = 32 plants, 6 inches gives 16 × 8 = 128 and 4 inches gives 24 × 12 = 288. The same 12 inch spacing in an offset layout also gives 32 in this bed, and the calculator uses the row direction that holds more plants.

Does offset (triangular) spacing fit more plants?

On a large area, yes. Rows in an offset layout are spaced 0.866 times the plant spacing, which packs 2 ÷ √3 = 1.1547 plants for every plant in a square grid, about 15% more. In a small bed the edges decide. A 10 × 10 foot bed at 12 inches takes 100 plants in a square grid and 105 offset, while a 10 × 4 foot bed takes 40 square and 39 offset.

How many plants per square foot?

Divide 144 by the spacing squared, in inches. At 12 inches that is 1 plant per square foot, at 6 inches it is 4 and at 4 inches it is 9. In an offset layout multiply by 1.1547.

Should I buy extra plants?

It depends on how reliable the plants are and how you will plant them, so ask your nursery. Type that percentage in the spares box and the calculator adds it to the count, rounded up. Left empty, it adds nothing.