SquareFootPlanner

Reference

Square Foot Gardening Spacing Chart

In square foot gardening you divide each one-foot square into an even grid and plant 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants in it - based on how much room the plant needs. Here is the spacing for 40 common crops.

Data reviewed: . Plant spacing, companion and sow-date data are checked against university-extension sources; this date changes only when we actually re-verify.

16 per sq ft
3 in apart
9 per sq ft
4 in apart
4 per sq ft
6 in apart
1 per sq ft
12 in apart

16 per square foot - 3 in apart (Small plants)

PlantTypeSeasonSunDays to harvest
Carrotvegetablecoolfull60-80
Chivesherbperennialpartial75-90
Radishvegetablecoolfull22-35

9 per square foot - 4 in apart (Medium-small plants)

PlantTypeSeasonSunDays to harvest
Beetvegetablecoolfull50-70
Bush Beanvegetablewarmfull50-60
Cilantroherbcoolpartial40-55
Garlicvegetablecoolfull240-270
Onionvegetablecoolfull90-120
Peavegetablecoolfull55-70
Pole Beanvegetablewarmfull60-75
Spinachvegetablecoolpartial40-50

4 per square foot - 6 in apart (Medium plants)

PlantTypeSeasonSunDays to harvest
Basilherbwarmfull50-75
Celeryvegetablecoolfull80-120
Cornvegetablewarmfull60-90
Lettucevegetablecoolpartial45-65
Marigoldflowerwarmfull45-60
Parsleyherbcoolpartial70-90
Potatovegetablecoolfull75-110
Strawberryfruitperennialfull90-120
Swiss Chardvegetablecoolfull50-60
Thymeherbperennialfull75-90

1 per square foot - 12 in apart (Large plants)

PlantTypeSeasonSunDays to harvest
Broccolivegetablecoolfull60-90
Cabbagevegetablecoolfull65-95
Cauliflowervegetablecoolfull65-85
Cucumbervegetablewarmfull50-70
Dillherbwarmfull40-65
Eggplantvegetablewarmfull65-85
Kalevegetablecoolfull50-65
Mintherbperennialpartial60-90
Nasturtiumflowerwarmfull50-65
Okravegetablewarmfull50-65
Oreganoherbperennialfull80-90
Peppervegetablewarmfull60-90
Pumpkinfruitwarmfull90-120
Rosemaryherbperennialfull80-95
Sageherbperennialfull75-90
Sweet Potatovegetablewarmfull90-120
Tomatovegetablewarmfull60-85
Watermelonfruitwarmfull70-95
Zucchini / Summer Squashvegetablewarmfull45-60

Spacing follows the canonical square-foot-gardening chart. A few crops vary by source (for example the official 2024 chart lists onions at 16 per square; this chart uses 9). Days to harvest are typical ranges - always check the seed packet and your local growing season.

Turn this chart into a real bed plan

Drop these plants onto a grid and the planner counts them for you.

Open the planner

One caveat: the published charts do not agree

The numbers above are ours, and we stand behind them - but you should know that the published square foot gardening charts disagree with each other, sometimes badly. The Square Foot Gardening Foundation, Clemson Cooperative Extension and Phipps Conservatory give three different answers for bulb onions (16, 4 and 9 per square foot), and the Foundation's own website publishes both 16 and 9 on two different pages.

Most of the gaps have a sensible explanation once you see them side by side: they usually come down to whether a crop is harvested young or grown to full size. We read all three charts in full and wrote up every disagreement with citations.

See where the charts disagree

Spacing questions

How many plants can you grow per square foot?+

The square-foot-gardening method uses four spacings: 1 plant per square (large plants, 12 inch spacing), 4 per square (6 inch), 9 per square (4 inch), or 16 per square (3 inch). The number depends on how much room the mature plant needs.

How many carrots per square foot?+

16 carrots per square foot - they are spaced 3 inches apart. The same 16-per-square spacing applies to radishes.

How many tomatoes per square foot?+

Between one per square and one per four squares, depending on the variety. A vining (indeterminate) tomato trained up a stake or trellis takes one square - the Square Foot Gardening Foundation recommends one per square. A bush (determinate) tomato needs a 2 ft x 2 ft block, four squares, and Phipps Conservatory's chart gives every tomato that much room. This chart and our planner count one per square, so give a bush tomato the squares around it.

Tomato spacing guide: which number fits your variety
What spacing does square foot gardening use?+

Plants are spaced 3, 4, 6 or 12 inches apart, which divides a one-foot square into 16, 9, 4 or 1 planting spots. You never measure rows - you just divide each square into an even grid.