Enter the length and width of your plot and the spacing you plan to keep between rows and between plants in a row. You get the number of plants that fit, how they lay out in rows, the planting density per square metre and per hectare, and how much unplanted edge is left. Useful before ordering seedlings so you buy neither too few nor a tray too many.
Enter the plot size and spacing to see how many plants fit.
How it works
Row spacing sets how many rows fit across the width of the plot, and in-row spacing sets how many plants fit along each row. Both are divided down to whole numbers — a row that does not fully fit cannot be planted — so the plant count is rows × plants per row. The leftover figures show the strips that remain, which is where an extra row often hides if you shave a few centimetres off the spacing.
Density is calculated separately from the plot edges: each plant is given a rectangle of row spacing × in-row spacing, so density per m² is 1 ÷ that area and density per hectare is 10,000 ÷ that area. This is the figure seed and fertilizer recommendations are written against, and it is always slightly higher than the plot count because a real plot has edges. Enter spacings in centimetres and plot sides in metres; a decimal comma works, so 6,5 and 6.5 are both fine.
The tool counts a rectangle. For an irregular plot, split it into rectangles and add the results, or enter the usable area as a rectangle of the same size — 1 hectare is 100 × 100 m. Total row length is also shown, which is what you need when buying drip tape, mulch film or support wire.
Practical examples
Peppers in a 20 × 10 m garden
At 70 cm between rows and 30 cm between plants you get 14 rows of 66 plants — 924 seedlings, a density of 4.76 per m². Only 20 cm of width and 20 cm of row length are left unused.
A hectare of maize at 70 × 22 cm
On a 100 × 100 m field that is 142 rows of 454 plants, or 64,468 plants; the theoretical density is 64,935 per hectare. You would also prepare 14,200 m of row.
Raspberry rows on 1,000 m²
A 50 × 20 m plot with 2.5 m between rows and 45 cm between canes fits 8 rows of 111 — 888 plants, and 400 m of trellis wire per wire level.
An apple orchard at 4 × 1.2 m
A hectare planted at 400 cm between rows and 120 cm in the row holds 2,075 trees against a theoretical 2,083 per hectare — the difference is the 40 cm strip at the end of each row.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the plot count and the per-hectare density?
The plot count only counts rows and plants that fully fit, so it drops the partial row at the edge. Per-hectare density is the pure spacing arithmetic (10,000 ÷ row spacing × in-row spacing) and ignores edges. Use the plot count when ordering, and the density when comparing your plan against agronomic recommendations.
Should I measure spacing from stem to stem?
Yes — both spacings are centre-to-centre distances between plants and between row centres. Measuring from the edge of a bed or from a canopy edge will shift every subsequent row.
How do I enter a plot that is not rectangular?
Split it into rectangles, calculate each one and add the plant counts. Adding the areas and forcing them into one rectangle gives a slightly optimistic result because you lose the edges of each piece.
Why does the count sometimes drop sharply when I change spacing by a centimetre?
Because rows and plants are whole. On a 10 m width, 70 cm spacing fits 14 rows but 72 cm fits 13 — a 7% drop from a 2 cm change. The leftover strip tells you how close you are to that threshold.
Can I use it for a raised bed or a greenhouse?
Yes. Enter the bed dimensions in metres — a 6 × 1.2 m bed at 30 × 30 cm gives 4 rows of 20 plants. For greenhouses, remember to subtract the walkway before entering the width.
How much extra should I order for losses?
Growers commonly add 5–10% for transplant failures and gaps. The tool gives the exact fit, so add your own margin on top rather than expecting it to be built in.
Does it account for the space needed to walk or drive between beds?
Only if you build it into the numbers. Either subtract the paths from the plot width first, or treat a wider row spacing as the working row plus the path.
What spacings are typical for vegetables?
Rough field practice in this region: peppers 60–70 cm between rows and 25–35 cm in the row, tomatoes 80 × 40 cm, cabbage 60 × 45 cm, maize 70 × 20–25 cm. Varieties and irrigation change all of it, so treat these as a starting point, not a recommendation.
Why is total row length shown?
Because that is the number you buy against — drip tape, mulch film, support wire and trellis posts are all sold per metre of row, not per plant.
Can I enter spacing in metres instead?
The spacing fields expect centimetres, so enter 250 rather than 2.5 for a two-and-a-half metre row gap. Plot sides are in metres.
Does a square (equidistant) planting layout change the result?
Setting both spacings equal gives you a square grid, which the tool handles the same way. Triangular or hexagonal layouts fit roughly 15% more plants in the same area and are not modeled here.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser and nothing about your plot is sent to a server.
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