Square Foot Garden Planner
Plan your square foot garden layout.
Enter bed size and plant type to see how many plants fit, spacing, and planting layout.
Square foot gardening (SFG) is a planting method developed by Mel Bartholomew that divides a raised bed into a grid of 1-square-foot cells, each planted with a fixed number of plants based on the species’ mature size. It maximizes yield in small spaces by eliminating wasted row spacing.
Plants per square foot by mature plant size:
Plants per Square Foot = 12² ÷ Spacing² = 144 ÷ (Spacing in inches)²
| Spacing | Plants per sq ft | Example crops |
|---|---|---|
| 3 inches | 16 | Carrots, radishes, onions |
| 4 inches | 9 | Beets, spinach, lettuce |
| 6 inches | 4 | Swiss chard, parsley, basil |
| 12 inches | 1 | Tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cabbage |
| 18 inches | — | Use 1 plant per 2–4 sq ft |
Total bed plant count:
Total Plants = (Bed Length × Bed Width) ÷ Cell Size × Plants per Cell
Worked example: A 4×8 ft raised bed (32 square feet), planted with:
- 16 squares of carrots (16 plants each): 256 carrots
- 8 squares of lettuce (4 plants each): 32 lettuce heads
- 4 squares of basil (4 plants each): 16 basil plants
- 4 squares of tomatoes (1 plant each): 4 tomato plants
Total: 308 plants in 32 square feet — versus traditional row gardening which might yield 60–80 plants in the same area.
Mel’s Mix — the standard SFG growing medium: One-third blended compost, one-third peat moss, one-third coarse vermiculite by volume. This mix retains moisture, drains well, and never compacts.
Succession planting: When a square finishes (e.g., radishes in 25 days), immediately replant it with the next crop. This keeps the entire bed productive all season.
Vertical growing bonus: Crops like cucumbers, beans, and small squash can grow vertically on a trellis, freeing ground squares for lower-growing crops — effectively multiplying the bed’s yield.