Plant Spacing Calculator — Plan Your Garden or Hedgerow
Whether you're planting vegetables, flowers, fruit trees, or a privacy hedge, knowing how many plants you need — and how far apart to space them — is the essential first step. Our Plant Spacing Calculator supports square, rectangular, and triangular grid layouts as well as hedgerow planting, in both metric (m) and imperial (ft) units. You can also estimate the total planting cost in any major world currency.
Gardening All Year Round
Most gardeners begin their season in spring, but experienced growers use succession planting to harvest crops all year. Here are some plants by season:
- Spring 🌤 – Parsley, Cilantro, Parsnips, Rhubarb, Collards, Radishes
- Summer ☀ – Tomatoes, Peppers, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Okra, Watermelons
- Fall 🌦 – Lettuce, Carrots, Red beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Snap beans
- Winter ❄ – Arugula, Kale, Spinach, Carrots, Turnips, Winter squash, Leeks, Onions
Square vs. Rows vs. Triangular Spacing
The calculator supports three grid types:
- Square grid — Plants are arranged in a regular square pattern. Simple and easy to maintain. One plant per square of side equal to the spacing.
- Rectangular grid (rows) — Different spacing along the row vs. between rows. Easier to walk between rows and useful for disease management.
- Triangular grid — Plants form equilateral triangles (all sides equal, all angles 60°). This is the most space-efficient arrangement and is widely used in landscaping. Row spacing is automatically calculated as spacing × √3 / 2.
Hedge Spacing — Hedgerows
Hedgerows are closely spaced shrubs or trees grown as boundaries, windbreaks, or privacy screens. The ideal spacing for most hedge plants is 33 cm / 13 in (about 3 plants per meter). Exceptions include:
- Dwarf box — around 15 cm / 6 in apart
- Common box — around 20 cm / 8 in apart
For a denser hedge, you can plant in multiple parallel rows using a triangular arrangement with 40 cm / 16 in between rows.
How to Use the Plant Calculator
- Select your unit system: metric (m) or imperial (ft).
- Choose Garden Grid or Hedgerow mode.
- For a garden grid: enter the area dimensions, border width, and plant spacing. Select the grid type (square, rectangular, or triangular).
- For a hedgerow: choose the number of rows, enter the hedge length, and either find the number of plants for a given spacing, or find the spacing for a given number of plants.
- Optionally enter a cost per plant and currency to estimate total planting cost.
- Click Calculate to see your results instantly.
What is the Formula for Plant Density?
If you know the target plant density (plants per m² or plants per ft²), you can reverse-calculate the required spacing:
- Square grid:
spacing = √(1 / density) - Triangular grid:
spacing = √(2 / (√3 × density))
For example, if you want 4 plants per m² with a square grid: spacing = √(1/4) = 0.5 m.
A Fun Fact About Triangular Spacing
Triangular spacing is mathematically the most efficient way to pack circles (plants) on a flat surface — it achieves about 90.7% area coverage vs. only 78.5% for a square grid. This is why it's favored in large-scale landscaping and orchard design. The pattern is identical to how oranges stack naturally in a crate!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best plant spacing for a vegetable garden?
It depends on the plant variety. As a general rule, small plants like lettuce or radishes need 15–20 cm / 6–8 in spacing, while larger vegetables like tomatoes or zucchini may need 60–90 cm / 24–36 in. Always check the seed packet or plant tag for recommended spacing.
How do I calculate how many plants I need?
Use this calculator! Enter your area dimensions and the recommended plant spacing. The calculator divides the effective planting area by the spacing to find the number of plants in each row and column, then multiplies for the total.
What is triangular planting and why use it?
In triangular planting, every plant is equidistant from its six nearest neighbors — the plants form a hexagonal lattice. This maximizes the use of space and is ideal when you want to fit as many plants as possible into a given area. It is widely used in commercial orchards, vineyards, and landscaping.
Can I use this for bulbs?
Yes! Simply enter the recommended bulb spacing (e.g., 10–15 cm / 4–6 in for tulips) and the size of your planting area. The calculator works for any plant type.
What is a fedge?
A "fedge" is an edible hedge — a hedgerow planted with food-producing species like Cumquats, Pomegranates, or Lemon Myrtle, providing both privacy and a harvest. Use the hedgerow mode of this calculator to plan your fedge planting.