Seedling Spacing Calculator
Maximize your garden's productivity with perfect plant spacing
Gardening Tip: Proper spacing prevents disease, improves air circulation, and ensures each plant gets adequate nutrients and sunlight.
Pro Tip: Use string and stakes to mark your planting grid before transplanting for perfectly spaced seedlings.
Planting Plan
Visual Planting Layout:
Layout diagram will appear here
Seedling Spacing Guidelines
Why Proper Spacing Matters
Correct spacing reduces competition for nutrients, water, and sunlight. It improves air circulation to prevent fungal diseases and makes harvesting easier. Our calculator helps you achieve optimal spacing whether you're planting in rows, grids, or raised beds.
Spacing by Plant Type
Leafy greens need less space than fruiting plants. Root crops require consistent spacing for proper tuber development. Vining plants need room to spread. Our calculator automatically adjusts recommendations based on your selected plant type.
Common Vegetable Spacing
| Vegetable | Plant Spacing | Row Spacing | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes | 24-36" | 36-48" | Deep |
| Lettuce | 8-12" | 12-18" | 1/4" |
| Carrots | 2-4" | 12-18" | 1/4" |
| Zucchini | 24-36" | 36-48" | 1" |
| Peppers | 18-24" | 24-36" | 1/4" |
Planting Pattern Strategies
Rectangular Rows
- Traditional farming method
- Easy to weed and harvest
- Good for large-scale plantings
- Allows for walkways between rows
Square Foot Gardening
- Intensive planting method
- Maximizes small spaces
- Reduces weeding
- Ideal for raised beds
Triangular Spacing
- Offset rows for denser planting
- 15% more plants than square grid
- Better light exposure
- Great for flowers and herbs
Intensive Planting
- Companion planting
- Layered canopy approach
- High yield in small space
- Requires more maintenance
Expert Tip: Combine planting patterns - use square foot gardening for quick crops like lettuce and radishes, with triangular spacing for larger plants like tomatoes and peppers.
Seedling Spacing FAQs
Can I plant seedlings closer together and thin later?
While you can plant densely and thin later, this stresses plants and wastes seeds. Our calculator helps you plant at final spacing from the start. For crops like carrots where thinning is expected, use our "intensive planting" option which accounts for thinning.
How does spacing affect yield?
Proper spacing maximizes yield per square foot while preventing overcrowding. Too close reduces air circulation (increasing disease risk) and causes competition. Too far apart wastes space. Our calculator finds the sweet spot for your specific plants.
Should I space plants differently in containers?
Yes, container plants often need slightly more space since roots can't spread as far. When using our calculator for containers, add 10-20% to the recommended spacing or select "raised bed intensive" pattern which accounts for confined root space.
How do I space plants in a polyculture garden?
For mixed plantings, calculate spacing for the largest plant and use companion plants in between. Our calculator's "intensive planting" option helps design polycultures by showing how to interplant crops with different maturity timelines.
Does spacing recommendation change for seedlings vs direct sowing?
Spacing is generally the same, but transplanted seedlings establish faster so you might use slightly tighter spacing. Our calculator automatically adjusts recommendations based on whether you select "transplants" or "direct sown" in the advanced options.