Square foot gardening: plant spacing chart and calculator
Divide a raised bed into one-foot squares and plant each by a simple count: 1, 4, 9 or 16. Here's why those numbers work and how many of each crop fit.
How square foot gardening works
Traditional row gardening comes from farming: long rows with paths wide enough for a tractor or a hoe. Mel Bartholomew, a retired engineer, noticed most of a home garden was path. His 1981 book Square Foot Gardening replaced rows with a 4-foot-wide bed divided into a grid of one-foot squares.
Each square holds one kind of crop, planted at the spacing on the seed packet but in both directions. The result is roughly the harvest of a row garden in a fraction of the space, with less weeding because there's little bare soil.
The PlotPlan garden planner uses exactly this grid, and counts your plants for you.
Raised bed calculator
Plant spacing chart: plants per square foot
| Crop | Plants per square foot | Row spacing on packet | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrot | 16 | 3 in | Roots & umbellifers |
| Radish | 16 | 2 in | Brassicas |
| Arugula | 9 | 4 in | Brassicas |
| Beet | 9 | 4 in | Roots & umbellifers |
| Bush bean | 9 | 4 in | Legumes |
| Chives | 9 | 4 in | Alliums |
| Cilantro | 9 | 4 in | Herbs |
| Garlic | 9 | 4 in | Alliums |
| Leek | 9 | 4 in | Alliums |
| Onion | 9 | 4 in | Alliums |
| Parsnip | 9 | 4 in | Roots & umbellifers |
| Spinach | 9 | 4 in | Salad & greens |
| Turnip | 9 | 4 in | Brassicas |
| Pea | 8 | 3 in | Legumes |
| Pole bean | 8 | 4 in | Legumes |
| Basil | 4 | 6 in | Herbs |
| Dill | 4 | 6 in | Herbs |
| Kohlrabi | 4 | 6 in | Brassicas |
| Lettuce | 4 | 6 in | Salad & greens |
| Marigold | 4 | 6 in | Companion flowers |
| Parsley | 4 | 6 in | Herbs |
| Strawberry | 4 | 12 in | Perennials |
| Swiss chard | 4 | 6 in | Salad & greens |
| Cucumber | 2 | 12 in | Cucurbits |
| Asparagus | 1 | 18 in | Perennials |
| Broccoli | 1 | 18 in | Brassicas |
| Cabbage | 1 | 18 in | Brassicas |
| Cauliflower | 1 | 18 in | Brassicas |
| Eggplant | 1 | 24 in | Nightshades |
| Fennel | 1 | 12 in | Herbs |
| Kale | 1 | 12 in | Brassicas |
| Nasturtium | 1 | 10 in | Companion flowers |
| Okra | 1 | 12 in | Companion flowers |
| Pepper | 1 | 18 in | Nightshades |
| Potato | 1 | 12 in | Nightshades |
| Rosemary | 1 | 24 in | Herbs |
| Sage | 1 | 18 in | Herbs |
| Sunflower | 1 | 12 in | Companion flowers |
| Sweet corn | 1 | 12 in | Grasses |
| Tomato | 1 | 24 in | Nightshades |
| Melon | 1 plant per 2 squares | 36 in | Cucurbits |
| Zucchini | 1 plant per 2 squares | 36 in | Cucurbits |
| Winter squash | 1 plant per 4 squares | 48 in | Cucurbits |
Vining crops listed at 2 per square (cucumbers, pole beans) or 8 (peas) assume they climb a trellis on the north side of the bed.
Questions gardeners ask
What is square foot gardening?
A method popularised by Mel Bartholomew's 1981 book "Square Foot Gardening": a raised bed divided into a grid of one-foot squares, each planted with one crop at a fixed number of plants: 1, 4, 9 or 16 depending on size. It uses space intensively and avoids walking on the growing soil.
How many plants go in one square foot?
Large plants like tomatoes, peppers and broccoli: 1. Lettuce, chard and basil: 4. Beets, spinach, onions and bush beans: 9. Carrots and radishes: 16. The spacing chart on this page lists 43 crops.
What soil mix is used in square foot gardening?
The original method recommends "Mel's Mix": equal parts by volume of compost (ideally several kinds), peat moss or coconut coir, and coarse vermiculite. Many gardeners use a good raised-bed mix with plenty of compost instead.
How deep should a square foot garden be?
Six inches of loose, rich mix is enough for most crops if the ground below drains well. Carrots, parsnips and potatoes do better with 10–12 inches.
How big should a square foot garden bed be?
Four feet wide, so you can reach the centre from either side. 4×4 ft (16 squares) is the classic starter bed; 4×8 ft fits a standard board length.