The square foot garden planner uses Mel Bartholomew's spacing grid to calculate how many plants fit in each square foot of your raised bed. Select your bed size and plants to get a complete planting plan.
Bed Dimensions
Select Plants
Planting Plan
Select plants and bed size to plan.
How to Plan a Square Foot Garden
Square foot gardening maximizes yield in minimum space by using intensive planting and a grid system. A 4×4 bed (16 squares) can produce vegetables for a family of 2-4 when properly planted and maintained.
The SFG Spacing System
Plant spacing in SFG is based on mature plant size: 1 plant per square (12-inch spacing) for large plants like tomatoes, peppers, and broccoli. 4 per square (6-inch spacing) for medium plants like Swiss chard, parsley, and marigolds. 9 per square (4-inch spacing) for plants like spinach and beets. 16 per square (3-inch spacing) for small plants like carrots, radishes, and onions.
Planning for Succession Planting
Leave some squares empty for succession planting — sow new seeds every 2-3 weeks in the same square after harvesting fast-growing crops like lettuce, radishes, and spinach. This keeps the bed productive through the season instead of having peak production followed by empty squares.
Vertical Growing
Add a trellis on the north side of the bed for vertical crops — beans, peas, cucumbers, and small squash varieties. Vertical growing can add the equivalent of 4-6 more square feet of production to a 4×4 bed without expanding the footprint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this square foot garden planner free?
Yes, completely free with no signup required. The planting grid and plant counts are based on Mel Bartholomew's square foot gardening method.
How does square foot gardening work?
Square foot gardening (SFG), developed by Mel Bartholomew, divides your raised bed into 1-foot squares. Each square gets a specific number of plants based on their mature spacing: large plants (tomatoes, peppers) get 1 per square; medium plants (lettuce, spinach) get 4 per square; small plants (radishes, carrots) get 9 or 16 per square.
What size raised bed do I need?
The classic square foot garden bed is 4×4 feet (16 squares) — narrow enough to reach all areas without stepping on soil. 4×8 beds (32 squares) are popular for more variety. Never make the bed wider than 4 feet if you can only access from one side (so you can always reach the center).
What is Mel's Mix?
Mel's Mix is the growing medium used in square foot gardening: 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat moss (or coconut coir), and 1/3 blended compost. This mixture is light, weed-free, and moisture-retentive. It's more expensive to make initially but eliminates tilling, reduces weeds dramatically, and produces excellent yields.
Can I use square foot gardening for any vegetable?
Square foot gardening works for almost all vegetables. The only exceptions are large sprawling plants like pumpkins, winter squash, and sweet corn — these need too much space to be practical in a SFG bed. Most other vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, carrots, beans, herbs) thrive in SFG with proper support for tall plants.