Plant spacing calculator

Enter the area and the on-center spacing from your seed packet or plant tag. You get the number of plants for a square grid and for staggered (triangular) rows.

Results appear here.

How to use it

Measure the planting area.
Enter the recommended spacing ("space plants 12 inches apart" means 12 inches on center).
Compare the square and staggered results — staggered rows fit more plants at the same spacing.

The formula

Square grid: plants = area (sq ft) × 144 ÷ spacing (in)² Staggered rows: plants = square-grid count × 2 ÷ √3 (≈ × 1.1547) Why: offset rows sit spacing × √3⁄2 ≈ 0.866 × spacing apart, so each plant uses less area. Example: 100 sq ft at 12 in → 100 (square) or 115 (staggered)

This is plain geometry: in an equilateral-triangle layout every plant is the same distance from its six neighbors, and rows are 0.866 × the spacing apart instead of 1 × the spacing. The result is an area-based estimate — edges, paths and irregular shapes will reduce the real count a little, so round down when buying.

Gear for this job

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Seed-spacing ruler or dibber — [affiliate link placeholder]
Garden measuring tape — [affiliate link placeholder]
Plant markers — [affiliate link placeholder]

Frequently asked questions

What does "12 inches on center" mean?

The distance from the center of one plant to the center of the next is 12 inches.

How many plants at 12-inch spacing in 100 square feet?

100 in a square grid, or about 115 in staggered (triangular) rows.

Is staggered spacing better?

It fits about 15% more plants at the same distance and fills in evenly, which is why it is popular for ground covers and intensive beds. A square grid is easier to lay out and weed.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-10-22. Found an error? Tell us.