Plant Spacing Calculator
Compare Square vs. Triangular spacing to maximize your garden yield.
Distance between centers of plants.
Square Spacing
Standard grid layout
Triangular Spacing
Staggered / Hexagonal layout
Plant Spacing Calculator — Fit More Plants in Every Bed
Enter your bed's length and width plus the spacing between plants, and this free calculator shows exactly how many plants fit — comparing standard square-grid spacing against staggered triangular spacing side by side.
Triangular (hexagonal) spacing typically fits 10–15% more plants in the same bed while keeping the same distance between every plant. The tool shows rows, columns and the percentage gain instantly in your browser.
Square vs triangular compared
See both layouts for the same bed: plant count, row and column numbers, and how much more the staggered layout fits.
Feet, inches and margins handled
Enter bed size in feet and spacing in inches — the math assumes optimal packing with half-spacing margins from the bed edges.
Free garden planner
No signup and no uploads — every calculation runs locally in your browser. Works for raised beds, rows, and even trees or shrubs.
How to use
- Enter the bed length and width in feet.
- Enter the spacing between plants in inches.
- Click Calculate Plants.
- Compare the square and triangular results and plant count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which spacing method is better?
For maximum yield in small or raised beds, triangular spacing fits more plants. For large fields needing tractor or wheelbarrow paths, square spacing is easier to work with.
Why does triangular spacing fit more plants?
Offsetting every other row fills the dead space in the middle of a square grid, so rows sit closer together (about 86% of the spacing distance) while plant-to-plant distance stays the same.
Does the calculator account for bed margins?
Yes — it assumes optimal packing, usually leaving half the spacing distance between the bed edge and the first plant.
Where do I find a plant's spacing requirement?
Check the back of the seed packet under 'thin to' or 'plant spacing'. If a range is given, use the larger number so plants have room to grow.
Can I use this for trees or shrubs?
Yes — just enter the mature spacing your trees or shrubs need. Convert feet to inches if you are using the inches input.
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