Staggered rows set every other row half a space over, like the cells of a honeycomb. The plants stay the same distance apart but the rows sit closer together, so more plants fit in the same bed and they cover the ground sooner.
How to use this calculator
- Measure the length and width of the bed.
- Pick a vegetable, or choose to enter your own spacing from the seed packet or plant tag.
- Choose a square grid or staggered rows.
Worked examples
Tomatoes in a raised bed
Bed: 8 × 4 ft · Plant: Tomatoes
- Plants
- 8
- Rows
- 2
- Spacing
- 24 in
- Bed area
- 32 sq ft
Lettuce in staggered rows
Bed: 8 × 4 ft · Plant: Lettuce, leaf or romaine · Layout: Staggered rows (triangle)
- Plants
- 69
- Rows
- 6
- Spacing
- 8 in
- Bed area
- 32 sq ft
Ground cover at a foot apart
Bed: 20 × 6 ft · Spacing between plants: 12 in · Layout: Staggered rows (triangle)
- Plants
- 117
- Rows
- 6
- Spacing
- 12 in
- Bed area
- 120 sq ft
Peppers in a long bed
Bed: 12 × 3 ft · Plant: Peppers
- Plants
- 18
- Rows
- 2
- Spacing
- 15 in
- Bed area
- 36 sq ft
Spacing for common plants
- Tomatoes about 24 inches apart in the row, peppers 15 inches, broccoli 15 inches and cabbage 18 inches.
- Leaf lettuce about 8 inches apart, carrots 3 inches and onions 4 inches.
- Vigorous ground covers about 12 inches apart, slow growers 6 to 8 inches, and clumping plants such as hostas and daylilies 18 to 24 inches.
- Perennials under two feet tall about 12 inches apart, mid-size ones 18 to 24 inches and tall ones 24 to 36 inches.
How the count is made
The calculator places the plants one spacing apart, starting half a spacing in from each edge, so the outer plants have room to spread without hanging over the bed. It counts every plant that fits, rather than dividing the area, so the answer matches what you can actually plant.
The vegetable spacings are the in-row distances from a university extension garden guide, written for rows. In a bed you can plant at that distance in every direction.
Common questions
How do I calculate how many plants I need?
Divide the bed into rows one spacing apart and count the plants that fit in each row, starting half a spacing from the edge. The calculator does this for a square grid or staggered rows.
Is triangular spacing better than square spacing?
Staggered rows fit more plants in the same bed at the same spacing and fill in sooner, which is why extension services suggest them for ground covers. Square grids are easier to lay out and to weed between.
How far apart should I plant tomatoes?
A university extension guide gives about 24 inches between tomato plants in the row. Staked or caged plants can go a little closer; sprawling ones need more room.
How far apart should ground cover plants be?
Vigorous ground covers about 12 inches apart and slow growers 6 to 8 inches. Closer spacing covers the ground faster but costs more plants.