Square Foot Gardening Spacing Chart
Square foot gardening lets you grow more food in less space by planting in a grid pattern instead of rows. Each square foot gets a specific number of plants based on their mature size. No wasted space, no guessing.
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Quick Answer
Divide your bed into 1-foot squares. Plant 1, 2, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square depending on the vegetable. Large plants (tomatoes, squash) get 1 per square. Medium plants (peppers, lettuce) get 4. Small plants (carrots, radishes) get 16.
The Complete Spacing Chart
Extra Large (1 plant per square foot)
These need the full square—or more.
| Vegetable | Per Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato (indeterminate) | 1 | Needs cage/stake, may sprawl |
| Tomato (determinate) | 1 | More compact, still needs support |
| Zucchini | 1 | Actually needs 2 sq ft |
| Summer squash | 1 | Needs 2 sq ft |
| Winter squash | 1 | Needs 4+ sq ft, let it sprawl outside bed |
| Cucumber (bush) | 1 | Or 2 per square if trellised |
| Eggplant | 1 | |
| Pepper (large) | 1 | Bell peppers, poblanos |
| Broccoli | 1 | |
| Cauliflower | 1 | |
| Cabbage | 1 | |
| Brussels sprouts | 1 |
Large (2 plants per square foot)
| Vegetable | Per Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cucumber (vining) | 2 | Must be trellised |
| Pepper (small) | 2 | Jalapeños, serranos |
| Celery | 2 | |
| Corn | 2 | Plant in blocks of 16+ for pollination |
| Okra | 2 |
Medium (4 plants per square foot)
| Vegetable | Per Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lettuce (head) | 4 | Romaine, butterhead |
| Lettuce (leaf) | 4 | Can do 9 for baby greens |
| Swiss chard | 4 | |
| Kale | 4 | Or 1 if growing full-size |
| Spinach | 9 | Or 4 for larger leaves |
| Basil | 4 | |
| Parsley | 4 | |
| Garlic | 4-9 | 4 for large bulbs, 9 for smaller |
| Kohlrabi | 4 |
Small (9 plants per square foot)
| Vegetable | Per Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Beans (bush) | 9 | |
| Beans (pole) | 9 | Needs trellis |
| Peas | 9 | Needs trellis |
| Beets | 9 | Thin to 9 after germination |
| Spinach | 9 | |
| Turnips | 9 | |
| Leeks | 9 |
Extra Small (16 plants per square foot)
| Vegetable | Per Square | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Carrots | 16 | Thin to 16 after germination |
| Radishes | 16 | Fast crop, replant every 2 weeks |
| Onions (green) | 16 | |
| Onions (bulb) | 9 | Need more room than green onions |
Visual Grid Reference
1 per square: 4 per square: 9 per square: 16 per square:
┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐
│ │ │ X X │ │ X X X │ │X X X X │
│ X │ │ │ │ X X X │ │X X X X │
│ │ │ X X │ │ X X X │ │X X X X │
└─────────┘ └─────────┘ └─────────┘ │X X X X │
└─────────┘
Tomato, squash Lettuce, peppers Beans, beets Carrots, radishes
Sample 4×4 Bed Plan
Using square foot spacing, here's what fits in a single 4×4 raised bed:
┌─────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐
│ Tomato │ Tomato │ Pepper │ Pepper │
│ (1) │ (1) │ (1) │ (1) │
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ Basil │ Lettuce │ Lettuce │ Spinach │
│ (4) │ (4) │ (4) │ (9) │
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ Carrots │ Carrots │ Radish │ Beans │
│ (16) │ (16) │ (16) │ (9) │
├─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ Beans │ Beans │ Onions │ Onions │
│ (9) │ (9) │ (16) │ (16) │
└─────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘
Total plants in 16 square feet:
- 2 tomatoes
- 2 peppers
- 4 basil
- 8 lettuce
- 9 spinach
- 32 carrots
- 16 radishes
- 27 beans
- 32 onions
That's 132 plants in a 4×4 space.
Spacing Rules of Thumb
The formula: Divide 12 by the plant's spacing requirement in inches.
| Spacing (inches) | Plants per sq ft | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| 12" | 1 | 12÷12 = 1 |
| 6" | 4 | 12÷6 = 2, squared = 4 |
| 4" | 9 | 12÷4 = 3, squared = 9 |
| 3" | 16 | 12÷3 = 4, squared = 16 |
Common Mistakes
Overcrowding large plants Tomatoes and squash need airflow. Crowding causes disease. Give them full squares.
Forgetting vertical space Trellised cucumbers and beans can share squares with low-growing crops below.
Not thinning seedlings Carrots and beets need thinning. Plant the seeds, then remove extras once sprouted.
Ignoring mature size A lettuce seedling is tiny. A mature head is 8-10 inches wide. Plan for the end size.
Succession Planting
Square foot gardening works best with succession planting:
- Harvest radishes (30 days)
- Replant same square with beans
- Harvest beans (60 days)
- Plant fall lettuce
One square foot can produce 3 crops per season.
Get Your Personalized Spacing Plan
Remembering spacing for every vegetable is tedious. Our AI Garden Planner automatically calculates:
- How many plants fit your bed size
- Optimal spacing for each vegetable
- Which plants to put where (tall in back, companions together)
- A complete shopping list with quantities
Enter your garden size and get a custom plan in seconds.
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