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Everydaygarden

Plant Spacing Calculator

How many plants fit a bed at a given spacing. Staggering the rows fits about fifteen percent more in the same area for the same spacing between neighbours.

Also called: garden spacing calculator, plants per square metre.

Pattern
Plants needed
198

198 plants across 6 rows of 33. A square grid, with rows directly opposite each other. That is 6.6 per square metre.

Rows
6
Plants per row
33
Plants per square metre
6.6
Bed area (m²)
30
On the pattern
A square grid, with rows directly opposite each other.
How this is calculated
Method and background

How this is calculated

Whole plants along the row, whole rows across the bed. A triangular or staggered arrangement offsets alternate rows so each plant sits between two in the next row, which lets the rows sit closer for the same plant-to-plant distance and fits roughly fifteen percent more in the same bed. That is why commercial growers stagger and home gardeners usually do not.

plants = whole plants along the length, times whole rows across the width
s_p
Spacing within a row
s_r
Spacing between rows

Worked examples

Each of these is asserted on every build. If a change to the engine ever moved one of these answers, the build would fail before the page could print it.

a square grid

Bed length (m)
10
Bed width (m)
3
Between rows (cm)
45
Within a row (cm)
30
Pattern
Square grid

Plants needed198

10 / 0.30 and 3 / 0.45, floored

Open this example

staggering fits an extra row

Bed length (m)
10
Bed width (m)
3
Between rows (cm)
45
Within a row (cm)
30
Pattern
Staggered rows

Plants needed231

boundary: rows at 39cm rather than 45cm

Open this example

a zero bed holds nothing

Bed length (m)
0.1
Bed width (m)
0.1
Between rows (cm)
45
Within a row (cm)
30
Pattern
Square grid

Plants needed0

degenerate case

Open this example

Method and limits

What it assumes

  • Rectangular beds, and spacing measured centre to centre.

What it deliberately does not model

  • Edge plants need half the spacing from the bed edge, which this does not enforce.
  • Mature spread rather than spacing at planting is what actually determines crowding.

Formula version 1.0.0 · definition 1.0.0 · United States · Report a problem with this calculator

Frequently asked questions

Why does staggering fit more?
Because rows can sit closer while keeping the same distance between any two plants. The offset means the diagonal neighbour, not the one directly across, sets the row spacing.