Square foot gardening is an easy guide for spacing your plants and vegetable crops. I divide my garden growing space into 12 inch x 12 inch squares and plant according to the chart below.
VEGETABLE CROP | PLANTS PER SQUARE FOOT |
Amaranth | 4 |
Annual Flowers | 9 |
Arugula | 4 |
Asian Greens (Mizuna, Tatsoi) | 4 |
Asparagus | 2 squares per plant |
Basil | 2 |
Beans - Bush & Pole | 9 |
Beets | 9 |
Bok Choy - Small varieties | 9 |
Bok Choy - Large varieties | |
Broccoli | 1 |
Brussels Sprouts | 1 |
Cabbage - Napa | 4 |
Cabbage - Savoy, Red | 1 |
Calabaza | 1 plant per 9 squares |
Cantaloupe | 2 squares per plant |
Carrots | 16 |
Cauliflower | 1 |
Celery | 4 |
Celtuce | 2 |
Chives | 4 |
Cilantro | 9 |
Collard Greens | 1 |
Corn | 4 |
Cowpeas / Southern Peas | 4 |
Cucumbers - growing vertically | 2 |
Dill | 4 |
Eggplant |
1 |
Endive | 4 |
Fennel | 4 |
Garlic | 9 |
Green Onions | 16 |
Kale | 1 |
Kohlrabi | 4 |
Leeks | 9 |
Lettuce - heading like Romaine | 4 |
Lettuce - Loose leaf | 6 |
Lettuce - heading like Iceberg | 2 |
Luffa / Loofah - grown vertically | 1 plant every 2 squares |
Melons | 2 squares per plant |
Mint | 4 |
Mustard Greens (baby greens) | 16 |
Mustard Greens (full size) | 4 |
Okra | 1 |
Onions - bunching | 9 |
Onions - bulbing | 4 |
Oregano | 1 |
Parsley | 4 |
Parsnips | 9 |
Peanuts | 1 |
Peas | 9 |
Peppers | 1 |
Potatoes | 1 |
Pumpkins (Seminole Pumpkins) | 1 plant per 9 squares |
Quinoa | 4 |
Radicchio | 2 |
Radish | 16 |
Rhubarb | 1 |
Romaine | 4 |
Rosemary | 1 |
Rutabaga | 4 |
Sage | 1 |
Scallions | 36 |
Shallots | 4 |
Snake Bean Gourd - grown vertically | 1 plant every 2 squares |
Sorrel | 2 |
Spinach | 9 |
Squash - Summer or Winter | 1 plant per 9 squares |
Strawberry | 4 |
Sunflowers | 1 |
Sweet Potatoes | 1 |
Swiss Chard | 4 |
Tarragon | 1 |
Tomatoes - grown on a trellis or cages | 1 plant per 4 squares |
Tomatoes - grown with tomato hooks | 1 plant per square |
Tromboncino Rampicante - grown vertically | 1 plant every 2 squares |
Tromboncino Rampicante - grown on the ground | 1 plant per 9 squares |
Turnips | 9 |
Thai Soldier Long Beans | 4 |
Thyme | 4 |
Watercress | 1 |
Watermelon | 1 plant per 4 squares |
Yard Long Beans | 9 |
Zucchini | 1 plant per 4 squares |
Generally, I plan my rows or garden growing space to be no more than 4 foot wide, by however foot long I can fit into the space. Using even numbers really helps divide the space equally into perfect squares.
Sometimes I use graphing paper to draw out my garden beds with 4 tiny squares equaling one 12 inch x 12 inch square. It is also useful as a "map" to my garden. I notate variety names on my garden map to keep track. I try to mark varieties with plastic tags but sometimes they go missing. It is also a great reference for the next season, so I remember what was growing in that spot previously for proper crop rotation.