Tool
Square-foot spacing calculator
Set your bed size, choose one crop, and get a source-backed starting layout. The calculator covers 31 vegetables and herbs with explicit square-foot guidance.
Step 1
Set your bed size
Enter each side from 1 to 50 feet.
16sq ft
Step 2
Choose what you are planting
Your result
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
8
plants in your 16 sq ft bed
- Starting density
- 1 plant per 2 square feet
- Setup
- Staked or caged
Planting pattern
Each outlined cell represents one square foot.
Starting density from UF/IFAS Leon County Extension square-foot planting guide. Variety, mature size, airflow, and local conditions can require more room.
Calculate soil for this 4 x 4 bedEmbed
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The embed resizes itself as answers open, with visible Sprout attribution and a link back to the full tool.
Publisher code
<iframe id="sprout-spacing-calculator" src="https://sproutauthority.com/embed/spacing-calculator" title="Sprout Authority spacing calculator" width="100%" height="620" loading="lazy" style="border:0;width:100%"></iframe>
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<p style="font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif">Free <a href="https://sproutauthority.com/tools/spacing-calculator">Sprout Authority spacing calculator</a> by Sprout Authority.</p>The attribution link is included in the copied HTML.
Common questions
How do you calculate the bed total?
Each crop has a source-backed starting density expressed as plants per square foot or one plant across several square feet. The calculator multiplies that density by your usable bed area and rounds down to a whole plant.
Where does the square-foot spacing come from?
The starting densities come from the UF/IFAS Leon County Extension square-foot planting guide. They are stored separately from conventional in-row spacing because intensive-bed fit also depends on mature habit and trellising.
Should I always use the maximum count?
Treat the result as a starting layout. Variety, mature size, airflow, soil fertility, water, and local disease pressure can require more room. The calculator names trellis or plant-form assumptions when the source does.