Little Plot Works helps home vegetable gardeners work out what fits in a rectangular bed, where each plant goes, and how much soil to prepare. The bed planner, spacing calculator and soil calculator share one set of calculation rules, so the same inputs lead to the same numbers everywhere on the site.
Who it is for
People planning one or more rectangular vegetable beds, in raised frames or in the ground, who want measured answers before they buy plants, seed or soil. The tools work the same for a first bed and for a crowded fifth one. They do not assume a growing method beyond the two spacing methods they offer: equal-distance blocks and traditional rows.
What it does, and what it does not
It does:
- Lay out up to 8 crops in measured strips, with a printable plan sheet and the distances needed to mark it out.
- Count plant positions for one crop at any spacing and edge allowance.
- Estimate soil volume and whole bags for up to 20 bed sizes.
- Report what would change the result: the bed size that fits every request, spare capacity, and bag-size comparisons.
- Keep a plan as a link, a printout or a list of coordinates.
It does not:
- Choose crops for your climate or give sowing and planting dates.
- Forecast yield.
- Assess soil quality, nutrients or drainage.
- Model shade, access paths, crop compatibility or irregularly shaped beds.
- Replace advice from your local university Extension service.
How the numbers are made
All distances are converted to inches internally, positions are counted with one formula, and soil is calculated from length × width × added depth. Crop presets cite published university Extension resources, and the tools keep those starting points separate from the arithmetic: any spacing you enter overrides a preset. The methodology page gives the formulas, the layout rules and every assumption.
Source attribution does not imply endorsement, and no affiliation with the cited institutions is claimed.
Who publishes it
Little Plot Works is an independent website, written, built and maintained under the Little Plot Works name. It is not affiliated with any university, Extension service, garden centre or seed company, and it does not sell plants, seed or soil.
Questions, corrections and requests go to [email protected].
How content is made and checked
- Numbers come from the tools. Every count, volume and bag figure in the guides and examples is produced by the same calculation code that runs the planner, and should be rechecked whenever that code or a preset changes.
- Starting points are cited. Spacing presets and bed guidance link to the university Extension publications they come from.
- Examples are labelled. Worked plans are illustrative calculations, not reports of real gardens or user results.
- Corrections are dated. Changes are listed in the update history below.
Independence
There are no accounts, subscriptions, affiliate links, sponsored placements or products for sale. The site intends to use Google AdSense to help fund maintenance, subject to approval. Advertising does not influence calculations, crop presets or source selection.
Corrections matter
Questions about the site and reports of errors can be sent to [email protected]. A useful report includes the tool, inputs, units, expected result, and the result shown; a plan link carries all of that in one line. See the reporting checklist.
Update history
November 7, 2026
Added optional bag-versus-bulk quote comparisons with delivery and minimum-order calculations, a worked purchase example, and clearer advertising disclosures.
- October 20, 2026
- Added four reference guides: plant counts for a 4 × 8 ft bed, raised bed sizes compared, a soil chart by size and depth, and three 4 × 4 ft layouts. Added a publisher and editorial standards section to this page.
- September 30, 2026
- The tools now report marking-out distances, the bed size that would fit every request, and how much spare space remains. Plan links restore a plan’s inputs. Soil results add cubic metres and a comparison of bag sizes. Added worked examples, guides to reading a plan and marking out a bed, and capacity figures in the spacing reference.
- September 22, 2026
- Site redesigned. Crop preset data re-checked against the linked Extension sources. Plant symbols now use distinct shapes as well as colours.
Scope of claims
The site does not claim professional horticultural certification or field testing of every crop arrangement. Worked examples are illustrative calculations, not records of real gardens. Read the methods and sources before relying on a result.