BED CAPACITY · SPACING
Estimate plant capacity without pretending every bed is the same shape.
Use measured length and width for a rectangular grid, or reuse a saved Garden Area for a broader area-only estimate. Start with a crop preset, override it when better variety guidance is available, and keep the crop connected to My Garden.
Count whole rows and whole positions.
When bed length and width are known, Tiny Mustard Seed applies the selected spacing to both dimensions. The width determines how many whole rows fit; the length determines how many whole positions fit in each row. Multiplying those values gives the simple grid capacity.
This approach is deliberately conservative about partial spaces because a fraction of a final planting position is not useful. It is still a simplified layout: it assumes equal spacing in both directions and does not automatically create access paths, supports, edge clearances or staggered rows.
If a Raised Bed project has already been designed in the browser, its measured dimensions can be copied directly into this mode so the spacing decision uses the same physical bed as the build plan.
Useful when area is known but shape is not.
My Garden stores reusable growing areas with a name and total square metres. If one of those areas is selected, the calculator divides its area by the square footprint implied by the selected spacing. For example, a 30 cm spacing represents a simplified 0.30 × 0.30 m footprint.
This can be useful for early planning, especially when a bed or in-ground patch has been measured by total area but not by exact sides. It should not be confused with a layout drawing: two gardens with the same square metres can have very different shapes, edges, paths and usable planting space.
The calculator keeps the area-only method visibly separate so the result does not appear more precise than the input data deserves.
Use defaults as a starting point, not a rule.
The crop presets are shared planning defaults for common vegetables, herbs and companion flowers. They are designed to give a practical first estimate when a more specific instruction is not yet available.
A named variety, rootstock, training system or packet can require substantially different spacing. Tomatoes trained vertically can behave differently from bush forms; pumpkins and squashes can be trained or allowed to trail; leafy crops may be harvested young or grown to full size. Disease pressure, humidity and airflow can also justify wider spacing.
When better crop-specific guidance exists, enter that spacing directly. The calculator shows when the working value differs from the shared preset and offers a reset rather than silently replacing the user's override.
Plant spacing calculator FAQ
How does the rectangular plant spacing calculation work?
The calculator divides bed width by the selected spacing to estimate whole rows, divides bed length by the same spacing to estimate whole positions per row, then multiplies those whole counts. Partial positions are not counted.
How is the Garden Area estimate different?
A saved Garden Area provides total square metres but not its shape. The area-only mode divides that area by a square spacing footprint, so it is less precise than measured length and width and does not know where edges or paths fall.
Are the crop spacing presets exact?
No. They are broad planning defaults. Variety, training system, growing method, seed-packet or nursery guidance and local disease or airflow needs can justify a different spacing, so the preset can be overridden.
Can I use dimensions from the Raised Bed project?
Yes. If a raised-bed draft is saved in the same browser, the calculator can copy its physical length and width into the rectangular mode.
Does the estimate include paths or companion plants?
No. The simple capacity model does not reserve paths, access, supports, companion space, staggered rows or edge clearances. Subtract or redesign those spaces before treating the result as a planting plan.