Plant Spacing Calculator
How many plants a bed, field or orchard block holds at a given row and in-row spacing — square or staggered.
Each plant occupies a rectangle of row spacing × in-row spacing.
How the plant spacing calculator works
Each plant occupies a rectangle of row spacing × in-row spacing. Divide the bed area by that rectangle for the count; a staggered (triangular) layout packs the rows 13% closer for the same distance between neighbours, so it holds about 15% more. The result rounds down, because a fraction of a plant is not a plant.
Formula: plants = area ÷ (row × in-row); staggered: ÷ (row × in-row × 0.866)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Plants | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 4 m bed, 50 × 30 cm | 266 | 266 plants |
| Same bed, staggered | 307 | 307 plants |
| 30 × 12 ft, 18 × 12 in | 240 | 240 plants |
FAQFrequently asked questions
Why does a staggered layout hold more plants?
Placing each row’s plants in the gaps of the previous row lets rows sit 0.866 × the spacing apart while every plant keeps the same distance to its neighbours, packing about 15% more in.
Should I count the edges?
The calculator assumes plants can sit half a spacing from the edge on all sides. If you want a full gap at the borders, subtract one row spacing from each dimension before entering it.
What spacing should I use?
Follow the seed packet or nursery tag — typically lettuce 25–30 cm, tomatoes 45–60 cm, cabbages 45 cm, fruit trees 3–5 m. Closer spacing gives smaller plants.
Does this work for orchards?
Yes — enter the block in meters and the tree spacing in centimeters (for example 500 cm between rows and 300 cm along the row) to count trees.
Where these figures come from
- NCBI Bookshelf — Molecular Biology of the Cell — growth kinetics and molecular conventions
- National Human Genome Research Institute — the US genomics research institute
Last checked: September 2026. Formulas are the standard textbook forms; assumptions are stated on each page because they are where these models break.