📏 Plant Spacing Calculator
Enter your garden bed dimensions and the recommended spacing for your plant to calculate how many plants will fit using a grid layout.
How the count is made
Each plant is given a square cell of side equal to the spacing, and part-cells are discarded:
rows = floor(bed length ÷ spacing)
cols = floor(bed width ÷ spacing)
total = rows × colsA 120 in × 48 in bed at 12 in spacing gives 10 rows of 4, so 40 plants. Every figure is in inches, so convert first: a 10 ft bed is 120 in. Because the division is rounded down, a 50 in width at 12 in spacing still fits only 4, with 2 inches left over.
Choosing the spacing figure
| Spacing | Per square foot | Typical crops |
|---|---|---|
| 3 in | 16 | Radish, carrot, spring onion |
| 4 in | 9 | Beetroot, spinach, bush beans |
| 6 in | 4 | Leaf lettuce, chard, garlic |
| 12 in | 1 | Cabbage, pepper, determinate tomato |
- Seed packets often give two numbers, such as 6 in apart in rows 18 in apart. This tool takes one figure for both directions, so entering the larger keeps the count honest.
- Offset rows fit more. Staggering alternate rows by half a spacing lets you close the row gap to 0.87 of it, which is worth roughly a tenth more plants in the same bed, at the cost of a fiddlier planting line.
Frequently asked questions
How many plants fit in a 4x8 raised bed?
That is 48 in × 96 in. At 12 in spacing, 32 plants; at 6 in, 128; at 18 in, 10, because 96 ÷ 18 rounds down to 5 and 48 ÷ 18 to 2.
How far apart should tomatoes be planted?
Commonly 18 to 24 inches for staked or determinate plants and up to 36 for sprawling indeterminate ones. Enter the wider figure if you are unsure; tomatoes packed tight are the classic blight case.
Can I plant closer than the packet says?
You can, and intensive beds routinely do for leaf crops that are cut young. Root crops and anything that has to bulk up, such as cabbage or onions, simply come out smaller.