Square foot garden planner
Pick crops and how many plants you want. The planner uses the square-foot spacing of 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants per square to show how many squares each crop needs and whether it all fits in your bed.
Calculator
Results appear here.
How to use it
- Enter the bed size; each whole foot of length × width is one square.
- Choose up to six crops and the number of plants you want of each.
- Read the squares needed and the layout preview. Put tall and trellised crops on the north side so they do not shade the rest.
The formula
UF/IFAS notes that a 4 × 4 ft box gives 16 squares and is small enough to reach the middle from the sides; aisles of about three feet between boxes are generally considered a good width.
Gear for this job
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- Square-foot gardening grid — [affiliate link placeholder]
- 4×4 raised bed kit — [affiliate link placeholder]
- Trellis netting — [affiliate link placeholder]
- Garden planner notebook — [affiliate link placeholder]
Frequently asked questions
How many tomatoes per square foot?
One. UF/IFAS lists tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, okra, potatoes and sweet potatoes at one plant per square.
How many carrots per square foot?
Sixteen. Carrots, radishes and onions are planted 16 per square in square-foot gardening.
How many lettuce plants per square?
Four for lettuce, chard, spinach, bok choy and many herbs, per UF/IFAS.
How big should a square foot garden be?
A common size is 4 × 4 ft (16 squares) because you can reach the center without stepping in the bed. You can also use 3 × 3 ft or a rectangle.
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-10-22. Found an error? Tell us.