Planting & seeds

How many plants fit in my bed?

In-row and between-row spacing for 31 crops, turned into the number of plants a bed of your size actually holds.

How this works

Pick the plant and the chart fills extension spacing — in-row for grids, plus the between-row distance for row layouts. Pick Custom to type the packet's numbers. Staggered (triangular) rows sit at 0.866 × spacing and fit more in big beds.

Questions people ask

How far apart should I plant tomatoes?

Eighteen to twenty-four inches in the row, with three to four feet between rows for staked plants. Crowded tomatoes give you less air and more disease, not more fruit.

Does square-foot spacing work for everything?

It works well for salad crops and roots. Fruiting plants like tomatoes, peppers and squash need the wider row spacing this calculator gives.

Can I plant closer if the soil is very good?

A little. Rich soil supports tighter in-row spacing, but row spacing is about light and airflow, and good soil changes neither.

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