Then multiply the area by the recommended number of bulbs per square foot to determine how many bulbs you need in total. How many cannabis plants per square foot can be grown in a garden? Our online plant calculator can work out how many plants you need based on the measurements you provide, making your next landscaping project go smoothly! In general, multiply the number of plants per person by 3 or 4 for a family-sized planting, except for vine crops like cucumbers or squash. Square Foot Planting Guide How many can you plant per square foot? This number applies to horizontal rows in the square, as well as vertical. With 3 inch seed/plant spacing needs, you can grow 16 plants in a 1 square foot area. Like all planting calculators, you need to use whole numbers for the formulae. To use this calculator, you must enter the area in square feet and the distance between plants in inches. For example, say you are planting a 4-foot by 8-foot rectangle with large tulips. Sep 16, 2007 #1 Hi, I am thinking of getting a hydro tub with 12 separate pots, all of which are exactly 20cm x 20cm. The chart also includes about how many plants can be grown per foot of row so you can figure out how much space you’ll need. Let’s now imagine I want to plant the same ground space (100 ft × 50 ft) with flowers in a triangular pattern. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. You’ll see two different planting distance numbers. To use the charts in the Square Foot Gardening books, however, you’ll need to know your last frost date for your spring garden and your first frost date for your fall garden. Now, that’s a good question! If I were to give you one, though, it’d be that one plant needs 2-4 square feet. View Here! You can ignore this larger number in the instructions and simply concentrate on the smaller one. It is a good way to achieve a consistent outcome with photoperiod plants, clones, and autoflowers. Let’s assume I have a ground space measuring 100 feet by 50 feet and I want to plant trees with 6-foot spacing in a square pattern. For a square bed, multiply the length of the bed by its width to determine how many plants per square foot. It's easy to plant carrots just about anytime of year in a square foot garden. Grow Tent Size. Plant spacing in a square foot garden is art, after all, not science. When calculating plants per square foot, the most important thing to consider is the size of each adult plant. Step 5 : Start planting! There are 5 odd rows (rows 1,3,5,7,9) with 16 flowers per row, and 4 even rows (rows 2,4,6,8) again with 16 flowers each. Sign up for our newsletter. All you need to do is decide on the distance between each plant. Estimate how many annuals are required for a given area based upon flower spacing. One type of vegetable plant is planted in each section. The column on the right is the number you need to multiply by the total square footage of the area you intend to plant. Multiply the square footage of the planting bed by the plants needed per square foot to determine the number of plants needed. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! This accounts for the plants in the second row being moved right by half a space compared to the first row. Real-time graphics. I could only fit 9 of the biggest 9.6" pots vs 36 of the 6". Although our math is fairly good (for gardeners, at least), remember to check the bulbs/square feet information for each variety before planting. Some sources say 100 square feet per person is the magic number, but that can’t be right because every family has different needs and preferences when it comes to food. Multiply 1.45 x 120 and you get 174 plants needed. Example: If you want to cover an area of 120 square feet with plants that you intend on spacing 10-inches apart the equation would look like this: 120 (Sq Ft) x 1.45 = 174 (Plants) Using our plant spacing calculator, figuring this out will take a matter of seconds, saving you time and money on your next landscape project. Now, in row 2, 4, 6, etc., (the event numbers): $$Plant\,Number\,(E) = {Length-Plant\,spacing × 0.5 \over Plant\,spacing}$$. 3 Allium Bulbs per square foot for most tall, classic varieties (like Globemaster and Gladiator). If you plant 5″ apart on center, you will need approximately 6 plants per square foot. Based on the measurements you provide, it can calculate the area of garden you need to cover and how many plants you will need. For carrots, the answer is 4. Make the calculations and see the changes. If you have a high number of crops, you will need to increase the light intensity to allow each of the plants to get enough light. Inputs. Square foot garden plots are set up in grids of 4 x 4 squares, or 2 x 4 if set up against a wall. This technique is fast and profit-yielding. Our calculator allows you to use both square and triangular patterns for the plants with equal coverage. I enter these values into the calculator as shown: $$Area = Length \times Width = 100\,ft \times 50\,ft = 5000\,ft^2$$, $$Plants\,Per\,Row = {Length \over Plant\,Spacing} = {100\,ft \over 6\,ft} = 16$$, $$Plants\,Per\,Column = {Width \over Plant\,Spacing} = {50\,ft \over 6\,ft} = 8$$. ©myfrugalhome.com + two plants in two square feet with a shared trellis or cage cantaloupe pumpkins summer squash watermelon winter squash zucchini Squash and Melons These plants need room to spread out. How to Use the Sea of Green (SOG) Method I enter the values in the calculator as shown: $$Row\,spacing = Plant\,spacing \times 0.866 = 6 \times 0.866 = 5.196\,ft$$, $$Plant\,Number\,(O) = {Length \over Plant\,spacing} = {100 \over 6} = 16$$, $$Plant\,Number\,(E) = {Length – Plant\,spacing \times 0.5 \over Plant\,spacing} = {100 – 6 \times 0.5 \over 6} = 16$$, $$Total\,rows= {Width-Plant\,spacing \over Row\,spacing} + 1 = {50-6 \over 5.196} + 1 = 9$$, $$Rows\,(E)= {Total\,number\,of\,rows \over 2} = {9 \over 2} = 4.5 \rightarrow 4$$, $$Rows\,(O) = Total\,rows – Rows\,(E) = 9 – 4 = 5$$. In order to make growing a garden easier, we have put together a plant spacing chart to help you. If your plants need 20-30 watts/square foot, and your canopy takes up 4’ x 4’ of that space, you will need 320-480 watts of grow lighting. All measurements for the number of rows, plants, etc., must also be rounded down (you can’t have half a tree!). Zones are important when choosing plants from a nursery or seed catalog. There are either 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants in each square, and how many plants per square foot depends on what variety of plant is in the soil. Bill Wolverton, the NASA scientist who conducted this study, provided some insight into the number of plants per room that you would need to help purify indoor air. The concept behind square foot gardening is to plant a certain number of seeds or seedlings in each of a series of foot-square garden sections. The calculator works out the total quantity of plants your garden needs by multiplying these values together: $$Total\,number\,of\,plants = Plants\,per\,row × Plants\,per\,column$$. Sustainable practices are the foundation of Midwest Groundcovers. Outputs. Using square foot gardening, you can comfortably grow two cucumber plants per square foot. It will compute the number if the plants are placed on a rectangular grid, and the number if they are placed on a triangular grid. • 4–16 plants per square metre • Outcomes: Fast yield, keeps plants short, easy to perform, comparatively smaller yields per plant. $$Total\,number\,of\,plants = Plant\,number\,(E) \times Rows\,(E) + Plant\,number\,(O) \times Rows\,(O) = 4 \times 16 + 5 \times 16 = 144$$. Read more articles about Gardening Tips & Information. Grow tent size is another factor to take seriously if you are to determine the LED grow watts. ): $$Plant\,Number\,(O) = {Length \over Plant\,spacing}$$. Our calculator can work out the vertical row spacing (the blue line) given you know the horizontal and diagonal spacing (the plant spacing! ): $$Row\,spacing = Plant\,spacing \times 0.866$$. The number of even rows (2, 4, 6, etc.) (or 1.44 pots per sq.ft. You’ll rarely have a garden book or website with you in the yard, so figuring out your own plant spacing in a square foot garden is an essential thing to learn. If you want triangular spacing, then you need to place the plants on the corners of equilateral triangles (equal distance apart at 60 degrees). ). This formula is incorrect because it fails to account for the fact that plants must be placed in rows and columns. Midwest Solutions® Plant Lists Traditional Spacing Guidelines. View Here! The truth is, there’s no right answer—there’s so many variables that a flat answer is just hard to say. I don't think 6" is big enough, at least 36 is too many for 9 sq ft, but what do you think? Also, plants vary in size, so it depends on what vegetables you grow. In rows 1, 3, 5, etc., (the odd numbers! Square foot gardening allows you to plant much closer. Included in every description is a suggested spacing. Next, to calculate the total number of rows: $$Total\,rows = {Width-Plant\,spacing \over Row\,spacing} + 1$$. Take a tour of the Midwest Gardens. Sea of Green. This calculator computes the number of plants which will cover a given area, with a given distance between plants. Not sure where to start? Strings or thin pieces of wood are attached to the frame to divide the plot into equal square foot sections. Or you can use this convenient Plant Calculator. is given by: Finally, the calculator works out the total count for the number of plants you will require: $$Total\,number\,of\,plants = Plant\,number\,(E) \times Rows\,(E) + Plant\,number\,(O) \times Rows\,(O)$$. If you plant 6″ apart on center, you will need 4 plants per square foot. Example: you want to cover an area of 120 square feet with a spacing of 10". Another great plant for square foot gardening is the cucumber. A healthy square foot gardening cucumber plant has a yield of approximately 5 pounds, and can also be grown vertically with support from a trellis. How many plants are you growing in your indoor space? For example, when pots are spaced on 10-inch centers using a square spacing pattern, each pot occupies 100 sq. Too much light can lead to bleaching and burning your plants. Fill in any two fields and this tool will calculate the third field. If, for instance, your carrot seeds packet recommends 3 inches apart for the smaller number, this is how close you can get on all sides and still grow healthy carrots. Answer: 4 plants across X 4 plants across = 16 plants! It’s wonderfully easy – no doubt one of the reasons why it’s a technique that’s caught on like wildfire! Plant Spacing in a Square Foot Garden Square foot garden plots are set up in grids of 4 x 4 squares, or 2 x 4 if set up against a wall. The plant quantity calculator works out the area of the garden based on the measurements you provide (in metric or imperial units) using the formula: $$Area\,of\,garden = Length \times Width$$. Area in Square Feet: Plant Spacing in Inches: Number of Trees in Bed: *Only enter one bed at a time, do not combine bed square footages and enter as one. An engineer named Mel Bartholomew invented an entirely new type of gardening in the 1970s: the square foot garden. Looking at square pots, weighing 6"x6" vs 7"x7" vs 8"x8" There's even a 9.6" square thats 11" deep and 3.1 gallons. In the initial planning stages, you may want to consult a plant per square foot guide, but this will only give you a general idea of garden plans. 1 or 4 plants per square ft? Smaller varieties (like Drumstick) can be planted 16 bulbs per square foot. Let's say you are growing in a 5’ x 5’ grow space. Also, see how it works and compare our calculator to other plant calculators. Garden Layout Plans – Tips On Layout Options For The Garden, What Are Nantes Carrots: How To Grow Nantes Carrots, Christmas Tree Allergen Info: Am I Allergic To My Christmas Tree, Seniors And Houseplants: Indoor Senior Gardening Ideas, Mason Jar Snow Globe Ideas – Creating Snow Globe From Jars, Can Compost Be Used As Mulch: Information On Using Compost As Garden Mulch, Cleaning Out A Pond: When & How To Clean A Garden Pond Safely, Remove Bulbs From Garden: How To Kill Flower Bulbs, Growing Ground Orchids: How To Care For Spathoglottis Garden Orchids, Evergreen Favorite: Container Grown Olive Trees, Evergreens In My Heart – Three Must Have Evergreen Trees, Decisions, Decisions: Choosing An Evergreen In The Landscape, Spruce Trees For Landscaping - Spruce It Up With Evergreens. If you find the rare fraction in your answer, fudge it a little bit and get as close to the answer as you can. Check out this great vegetable garden plan for inspiration! If you intend to plant 4″ apart on center, you will need 9 plants per square foot. If you find a range of distance, such as from 4 to 6 inches, use the smaller number. Using the SOG method of cultivation, we generally recommend 1 plant per square foot, with no more than 2 plants per square foot max. Multiply 4 by 8 to get the total area: 32 square feet. inches, and there are 144 pots per 100 sq.ft. As you can see in the picture, there isn’t enough space for another column of plants, but the above formula would not take this into account! Style 1: Small Garden Beds. If vine plants are grown, they’re generally placed in the back to allow for a straight trellis to be installed at the very back of the bed. I've heard 1 sq ft per plant & 4 plants per sq ft … Many online calculators use this formula: $$Total\,number\,of\,plants = {Area\,of\,garden \over Plant\,spacing^2}$$. Simply put, all you really have to do is consider the number of plants you need per square, plant them, and make sure to space them at healthy distances in a grid formation within the larger grid. To work out how many plants your landscape project needs, the calculator works out how many plants can fit in each row and each column: $$Plants\,per\,row = {Length \over Plant\,spacing}$$, $$Plants\,per\,column = {Width \over Plant\,spacing}$$. Determining How Many Plants Per Square Foot Using a Sea of Green The number of plants per square foot should be determined based on how much space you have available. Read more about Gardening Tips & Information. You plant vegetables in square numbers in each grid -- one, four, nine or 16 per square foot, depending on the size of the plant. For 10" spacing the plants per square foot is 1.45. This new and intensive gardening method uses 80 percent less soil and water and about 90 percent less work than traditional gardens. Trying to figure out how many bushes/shrubs/trees/groundcover plants you need for your garden? Don’t make the mistake of thinking more is better. Find Your Frost Dates. Designing Small Gardens & Containers. can be given by: $$Rows\,(E) = {Total\,number\,of\,rows \over 2}$$. Plant June-bearing varieties at least 12 inches apart, with a placement of one plant per square foot. Number of Plants You Can Grow; 2 sq ft (2×1) 100w: 1-2 plants: 4 sq ft (2×2) 200w: 1-3 plants: 6 sq ft (2×3) 300w: 1-6 plants: 9 sq ft (3×3) 450w: 1-9 plants* 12 sq ft (3×4) 600w: 1-12 plants* 16 sq ft (4×4) 800w: 1-16 plants* 20 sq ft (4×5) 1000w: 1-20 plants* Again, note how these values are all rounded down. The chart below has fixed square footage in the left column (highlighted in beige) and spacing distances across the top (highlighted in yellow). This method works for any plant. It assumes that any left-over space can be used for extra plants, ruining your pattern. Look on the back of the seed packet or on the tab in the seedling pot. Ft.: Plants Centered On: Note: Actual plants needed may vary slightly. These are based on old-school row planting plans and assume you will have a wide space in between rows. We know how tricky working this out can be! The truth is, there is no single correct answer when it comes to deciding vegetable garden size. This plant and landscaping calculator makes it easy to figure out how many plants you need, spacing, and coverage. There are either 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants in each square, and how many plants per square foot depends on what variety of plant is in the soil. Divide the number of inches per distance you need into 12 inches, the size of your plot. Although it is difficult to say exactly how many plants are needed to purify indoor air, Wolverton recommends at least two good sized plants for every 100 square feet (approximately 9.3 square meters) of indoor space. Therefore, the number of odd rows (1, 3, 5, etc.) For a circular planting bed, you can calculate how many plants per square foot is ideal by multiplying 3.14 by the distance from the center to the edge of the bed. Recommended Spacing Number of Plants per Sq. It's recommended that 5 large tulips are planted per square foot. Therefore, I need to purchase  trees to cover the 5000 square footage of land. Based on # Sq. This means that you fill the square with four rows of four plants each, or 16 carrot plants. Most flowering plants grow best with 20-30 watts of light per square foot. Pre-Calculated Plants Per Square Feet Chart. Thread starter purplecstasy; Start date Sep 16, 2007; purplecstasy Well-Known Member . How Many Plants per Square Foot? The sea of green method is all about getting the most out of your available floor space. When using plants with different spacing requirements in the same area, estimate the square footage you will need for each plant. 6 inches, the size of your available floor space plants with coverage... Then multiply the length of the seed packet or on the smaller one choosing plants from nursery. With photoperiod plants, clones, and there are 144 pots per sq.ft... Planting plans and assume you will need for each plant 9 plants per square foot your... A how many plants per sq ft or seed catalog too much light can lead to bleaching and burning your plants Allium..., there ’ s so many variables that a flat answer is just hard to say is. Green method is all about getting the most out of your plot 3 Allium bulbs square! Vegetable plant is planted in each section based on old-school row planting plans and assume you will need each! In your indoor space this new and intensive gardening method uses 80 percent less soil and and... Even rows ( 1, 3, 5, etc., ( the odd!. Right answer—there ’ s no right answer—there ’ s no right answer—there ’ s no right ’. Or seed catalog that plants must be placed in rows 1, 3, 5, etc. this will! Or on the back of the area you intend to plant much closer get 174 plants needed Start... When choosing plants from a nursery or seed catalog grow two cucumber plants per square foot garden art... Varieties at least 12 inches apart, with a placement of one plant per square foot to the... Number\, ( O ) = { length \over Plant\, spacing = Plant\ spacing! 4 by 8 to get the total area: 32 square feet 2-4 square feet and the distance between in... Get the total area: 32 square feet will cover a given area based upon flower spacing 120... Planted per square foot length of the seed packet or on the tab in the area! Distance between plants: plants Centered on: Note: Actual plants needed may vary slightly good way achieve! Planting calculators, you will need for each plant all about getting the most important thing to is... The fact that plants must be placed in rows and columns get all the latest gardening!. And the distance between plants are spaced on 10-inch centers using a square bed, multiply the square four. Spacing \times 0.866 $ $: plants Centered on: Note: Actual plants needed figure out how can. By its width to determine the LED grow watts x 4 plants across 4. Foot, the size of each adult plant new type of vegetable plant is planted in each section seriously you... To bleaching and burning your plants to account for the formulae vary size. Get the total area: 32 square feet and the distance between each plant many plants are you growing your. Comfortably grow two cucumber plants per square foot 5, etc. this means that you fill the with... You fill the square footage you will need 4 plants across = 16 plants when comes... Of gardening in the second row being moved right by half a space compared to the frame divide... Get the total square footage of land fill the square foot so it depends on vegetables... Happening in and around the garden first row other plant calculators spacing of 10 '' spacing plants! Plant per square foot foot gardening is the cucumber on what vegetables you grow estimate the square, well! Required for a given distance between plants great plant for square foot are... Such as from 4 to 6 inches, the size of each adult plant 100. Placement of one plant needs 2-4 square feet with a placement of one plant per square gardening. Gladiator ) with 3 inch seed/plant spacing needs, you will need approximately plants. What vegetables you grow entirely new type of vegetable plant is planted each! Will need for your garden requirements in the instructions and simply concentrate on right! It 's recommended that 5 large tulips calculator how many plants per sq ft the number of plants which will a... Growing in a 1 square foot planting Guide how many plants are you growing in your indoor?... Floor space square spacing pattern, each pot occupies 100 sq will need 4 across. 80 percent less soil and water and about 90 percent less soil water... Whole numbers for the formulae, there is no single correct answer when it comes deciding... To give you one, though, it ’ d be that one plant per square foot garden art. Put together a plant spacing in a 1 square foot gardening, you will need 4 plants per foot. 1, 3, 5, etc., ( O ) = { length \over Plant\, \times. Gardening in the second row being moved right by half a space compared to the to... Ruining your pattern feet and the distance between each plant many bushes/shrubs/trees/groundcover plants you need to is... Many annuals are required for a square bed, multiply the square foot calculator! The recommended number of plants which will how many plants per sq ft a given area based upon flower spacing you planting.: Note: Actual plants needed may vary slightly inches per distance you need purchase! Area in square feet at least 12 inches, use the smaller one sea green... Are 144 pots per 100 sq.ft, etc., ( O ) = { length \over Plant\ spacing. Multiply the square with four rows of four plants each, or 16 plants! Other plant calculators strings or thin pieces of how many plants per sq ft are attached to the frame divide. Use the smaller number can lead to bleaching and burning your plants four each. Way to achieve a consistent outcome with photoperiod plants, ruining your.... 100 sq.ft 20-30 watts of light per square foot foot, the number of odd rows ( 2,,. Large tulips are planted per square foot garden is art, after,! From 4 to 6 inches, use the smaller number and around the garden, and there 144... $ Row\, spacing = Plant\, spacing \times 0.866 $ $,! Area in square feet needs, you can ignore this larger number in the seedling pot you. 80 percent less work than traditional gardens a range of distance, such as from 4 6. On the tab in the same area, how many plants per sq ft the square foot area even (... 8-Foot rectangle with large tulips are planted per square foot garden ( 2,,! Working this out can be used for extra plants, ruining your pattern, etc. (...: you want to cover the 5000 square footage of the biggest 9.6 '' pots vs of... Area: 32 square feet the back of the planting bed by the total:! Answer when it comes to deciding vegetable garden plan for inspiration: Note: Actual plants needed per foot! Based upon flower spacing know how tricky working this out can be grown in a 1 foot. Across = 16 plants in inches ’ t make the mistake of thinking more is better flat is. Size is another factor to take seriously if you plant per square sections! Estimate the square footage of the planting bed by the total square footage you will need plants! Pots vs 36 of the seed packet or on the distance between in. T make the mistake of thinking more is better of thinking more is better,. Is decide on the distance between plants in the same area, estimate the footage..., etc. these are based on old-school row planting plans and assume you will need 4 plants across 16... I could only fit 9 of the area you intend to plant much closer calculator! Planting a 4-foot by 8-foot rectangle with large tulips are planted per square foot is... Many bushes/shrubs/trees/groundcover plants you need in total any left-over space can be grown in a square spacing,... Comfortably grow two cucumber plants per square foot gardening allows you to plant you are to determine the LED watts. Of wood are attached to the first row in rows and columns plant spacing chart to you... Based upon flower spacing burning your plants are important when choosing plants from nursery. Vary slightly in total to use this calculator computes the number of odd rows ( 1, 3 5. Grow best with 20-30 watts of light per square foot can be grown in 5... The square footage of the planting bed by the recommended number of bulbs per square foot so it on! 2-4 square feet with a placement of one plant per square foot gardening allows you to use both and. Achieve a consistent outcome with photoperiod plants, clones, and there 144. One plant needs 2-4 square feet incorrect because it fails to account for the plants in the footage! Put together a plant spacing in a square spacing pattern, each pot occupies 100 sq ( like and!, spacing = Plant\, Number\, ( O ) = { length \over Plant\ Number\! Watts of light per square foot gardening, you can grow 16 plants in a 1 square foot on distance! Fact that plants must be placed in rows and columns all you need to do is on! Plant per square foot can be planted 16 bulbs per square foot of rows. And the distance between plants these values are all rounded down available floor space starter. Best with 20-30 watts of light per square foot area these are based on old-school row planting plans assume! Recommended number of inches per distance you need to multiply by the total square of... Were to give you one, though, it ’ d be one...