Garden / Planting
Plant Spacing Calculator (Square and Triangular)
Work out how many plants fit in a garden bed at a given spacing, in rows or in a triangular (offset) layout, with a diagram of where each one goes.
Plant Spacing Calculator (Square and Triangular): Plants are placed half a spacing in from every edge. In rows they sit one spacing apart along each row, with rows one row spacing apart; in a triangular layout the rows are spacing × √3/2 apart and every other row is shifted by half a spacing, so each plant is the same distance from all six neighbours. The tool counts the plants that fit and draws them. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
- Category
- Home & family tools
- Runs
- In your browser
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
Bed area 4,608 in². Plants keep half a spacing clear of each edge.
Use the spacing on the seed packet or plant label. In a triangular layout every other row is shifted by half a spacing, so each plant is the same distance from all its neighbours and about 15% more fit on a large area, though in a narrow bed the shifted rows lose a plant each and can hold fewer; rows are easier to weed and water along.
A worked example
A 240 × 120 cm raised bed with plants 30 cm apart holds 32 in rows: 4 rows of 8. In a triangular layout it holds 30, because the shifted rows have room for only 7. On a bed twice as wide, the triangular layout pulls ahead.
To work out the bed's area, use the square footage calculator.
Choosing the layout
Rows suit crops you hoe between or harvest by walking along, such as beans and potatoes, and let you set a wider gap between rows than within them. Triangular planting suits beds you reach from the side and ground cover, where an even canopy shades out weeds.
To water the bed from your roof, see the rainwater harvesting calculator.
How to use it
- Choose rows (a square grid) or a triangular layout.
- Enter the bed's length and width and the spacing from the seed packet.
- Read the number of plants and rows, and see the layout drawn to scale.
Privacy & limitations
Everything runs in your browser.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
Does a triangular layout always fit more plants?
On a large area it fits about 15% more. In a narrow bed the shifted rows are one plant shorter, so it can fit fewer; the tool counts both exactly.
What spacing should I use?
The one on the seed packet or plant label, which allows for the plant's full size; closer planting means smaller plants and more competition for water.
Why leave half a spacing at the edges?
A plant needs that much room on every side, including towards the edge of the bed or a path.
Free tool · runs in your browser · no account required