Enter your bed dimensions and plant spacing. Get the exact number of plants needed for square, triangular, and row layouts — in under 5 seconds. No app, no account.
From bed dimensions to exact plant count in under 5 seconds. No app, no account, no waiting.
Measure length and width of your garden bed or planting area. Use any unit — feet, inches, centimetres, or metres. The calculator converts all units automatically.
⏱ 2 minutes to measureChoose square grid, triangular offset, row planting, or reverse mode. Enter the recommended plant spacing from the seed packet or label — in inches, cm, or feet.
⏱ Optional — 10 secondsThe calculator returns the total plant count, plants per row, number of rows, and total area covered — plus a live dot grid so you can visualise the layout before planting.
⏱ Under 5 secondsNo switching between tools. Everything a gardener needs — in one result.
The exact number of plants to buy or transplant. Rounded up so you never run short — one extra plant is better than one gap in the bed.
Breaks down the grid so you know exactly how many to place in each row — makes planting systematic and reduces mistakes mid-bed.
Triangular offset spacing fits 15% more plants in the same area. The result shows how many extra plants triangular layout gives you over square grid.
A visual dot grid shows plant positions before you commit. See the density, check if spacing looks right, and adjust before planting a single seed.
5 reasons this tool beats every other online plant spacing calculator.
Most plant calculators push you toward a paid garden planning app. This tool has no paywall and no use limit. Every calculation is free, every time.
Most online tools only calculate square grid. Triangular offset spacing fits 15% more plants in the same bed area — a technique most gardeners never use because no free tool offers it.
Know how many plants you have? Enter the count and spacing — the calculator tells you how much bed area you need. No other free tool offers this reverse calculation.
A dot grid shows plant positions instantly after calculating. See the layout density before you dig a single hole — adjust spacing and recalculate in seconds.
Enter spacing in inches, feet, centimetres, or metres. Bed dimensions and spacing units can differ — the calculator handles mixed units automatically.
Works in Chrome, Safari, and Firefox on any device. Use it in the garden from your phone without installing anything or draining storage.
The calculator works for every plant category — from vegetable rows to flower drifts.
Precise geometry applied instantly — no rounding errors, no manual counting.
For square grid spacing, the calculator divides bed length by spacing to get plants per row, divides bed width by spacing to get row count, then multiplies both to get total plants.
For triangular offset spacing, every other row is shifted by half the spacing distance. This reduces the effective row gap to spacing × 0.866 (sin 60°) — fitting approximately 15% more plants in the same bed area.
For row planting, the tool calculates plants per row separately from row count, using different spacing values for in-row and between-row gaps — giving you full control over vegetable garden layouts.
Plants = floor(L ÷ S) × floor(W ÷ S) — clean rows and columns.
Row gap = S × 0.866. Offset rows shift by S ÷ 2. ~15% more plants per bed.
Inches, feet, cm, metres — all converted to feet before calculation for precision.
Area needed = Plants × S² for square grid. Gives minimum bed dimensions.
Counting manually or guessing spacing leads to overcrowding or wasted bed space.
| Feature | ZonedGarden Calculator | Manual Counting | Guessing by Eye | Generic Online Tool |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exact plant count | ✓ Free | ✓ slow | ✗ | ✓ |
| Triangular offset spacing | ✓ Free | ✗ complex math | ✗ | ✗ rarely |
| Row planting with 2 spacing values | ✓ Free | ✓ slow | ✗ | Rarely |
| Reverse mode (plants → area) | ✓ Free | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Live visual grid preview | ✓ Free | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Metric + Imperial units | ✓ Free | ✗ manual convert | ✗ | Rarely |
| No account required | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Often requires signup |
Enter these spacings into the calculator to get your exact plant count instantly.
| Plant | In-Row Spacing | Between Rows | Layout | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettuce / Salad greens | 6–8 in (15–20 cm) | 8–12 in (20–30 cm) | Square or triangular | Closer spacing = cut-and-come-again harvest style |
| Tomatoes | 18–24 in (45–60 cm) | 24–36 in (60–90 cm) | Row planting | Indeterminate varieties need maximum spacing |
| Peppers | 12–18 in (30–45 cm) | 18–24 in (45–60 cm) | Row planting | Both sweet and hot pepper varieties |
| Carrots | 2–3 in (5–7.5 cm) | 6 in (15 cm) | Row planting | Thin to final spacing after germination |
| Basil / herbs | 8–12 in (20–30 cm) | 12 in (30 cm) | Square grid | Closer for small containers, wider for large beds |
| Marigolds / annual flowers | 8–12 in (20–30 cm) | 10–12 in (25–30 cm) | Triangular | Triangular spacing gives a fuller, denser look |
| Perennial flowers | 12–24 in (30–60 cm) | 18–24 in (45–60 cm) | Square or triangular | Space for 3-year spread — looks sparse at first |
| Strawberries | 12–18 in (30–45 cm) | 24–36 in (60–90 cm) | Row planting | Runner space needed between rows |
| Tulip / daffodil bulbs | 4–6 in (10–15 cm) | 6 in (15 cm) | Triangular | Triangular layout gives most natural look for bulbs |
| Groundcover plants | 6–12 in (15–30 cm) | 6–12 in (15–30 cm) | Triangular | Triangular fills gaps faster for groundcover |
These 5 habits prevent the most common plant spacing mistakes.
Spacing is always measured from the centre of one plant to the centre of the next — not edge to edge. Seed packets always show centre-to-centre spacing.
For flower beds and groundcovers, always try triangular spacing first. It fits 15% more plants in the same area and looks more natural than square grids.
Always buy 10% more plants than calculated. Transplant shock, slug damage, and germination failures create gaps — have spares ready to fill them.
Space for the plant's mature spread — not its size at planting. A tomato transplant 6 inches wide needs 24-inch spacing for full-size fruit production.
For beds wider than 4 feet, plan a planting layout that gives you reach to every plant without stepping in the bed. Map rows before digging.
7 questions gardeners ask most before calculating plant spacing.
7 types of gardeners and professionals rely on this tool every planting season.
Planning new raised beds, calculating how many seedlings to buy before a nursery visit, or filling an existing bed with the right plant count.
Calculating perennial drift counts and annual flower numbers for garden redesigns — especially useful for triangular offset layouts in ornamental borders.
Planning seasonal crops across multiple beds — knowing exact transplant counts before ordering seed trays or visiting the nursery in spring.
Horticulture, garden design, and agronomy coursework — calculating plant populations for project plans, yield estimates, and planting schedules.
Accurate plant count quotes for clients. Precise calculations prevent under-ordering on large planting contracts — especially for groundcover installations.
Calculating tulip, daffodil, and allium counts for autumn bulb planting. Triangular spacing mode gives the most natural drift-style bulb effect.
School garden and community planting projects — calculating exactly how many plants to order for grant-funded garden beds with specific dimensions.
