📐 Bed Dimensions
📊 Results
About Plant Spacing
Proper plant spacing is essential for healthy garden growth. It ensures each plant has adequate access to sunlight, water, and nutrients while reducing competition and disease risk. This calculator helps you determine the optimal number of plants for your garden bed based on your chosen spacing.
- Rectangular spacing — Plants arranged in straight rows and columns. Simple and easy to maintain.
- Triangular (offset) spacing — Alternating rows offset by half the spacing. More efficient — fits up to 15% more plants.
Tip: For square foot gardening, 1 plant per square foot = 12-inch spacing. Use smaller spacing for leafy greens and larger for tomatoes, peppers, and squash.
📖 Garden Layout Guide
| Crop | In-Row Spacing | Row Spacing | Plants per 4×8 Bed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato (determinate) | 24" | 36" | ~6 |
| Pepper | 18" | 24" | ~10 |
| Lettuce (head) | 12" | 12" | ~32 |
| Carrot | 2" | 12" | ~160 |
| Bean (bush) | 4" | 18" | ~64 |
| Cucumber | 12" | 36" | ~10 |
| Basil | 10" | 12" | ~32 |
| Strawberry | 12" | 18" | ~18 |
Triangular Spacing Benefits
Triangular (diamond/offset) spacing arranges plants so each is equidistant from its neighbors, forming a hexagonal pattern. This maximizes space usage and is ideal for:
- High-density planting in raised beds
- Crops that benefit from even competition
- Square foot gardening adaptations
📋 Example Calculations
| Bed Size | Spacing | Shape | Plants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 ft × 8 ft | 12" × 12" | Rectangle | 32 |
| 4 ft × 8 ft | 12" × 12" | Triangular | 37 |
| 3 ft × 6 ft | 6" × 12" | Rectangle | 36 |
| 4 ft × 4 ft | 18" × 18" | Rectangle | 9 |
| 1 m × 2 m | 30 cm × 30 cm | Rectangle | 18 |
| 1 m × 2 m | 30 cm × 30 cm | Triangular | 21 |
Use the calculator above to try different combinations. Triangular spacing typically yields 10–15% more plants than rectangular spacing in the same area.