Growing references

Vegetable spacing reference

18 starting points. Clear methods. Room for your own judgment.

Crops: 18
Methods: Blocks & traditional rows
Data checked: September 22, 2026
Updated: September 30, 2026
Use with: Plant spacing · Bed planner

Distances below are plant × row spacing in inches, measured centre-to-centre. These are editable presets, not universal recommendations. Block presets generally use the wider end of the cited range. Traditional-row presets come from a different growing system and source; do not treat the two columns as interchangeable.

Colorado and Georgia guidance may need adjustment for your region, variety, soil and training method. Your packet and locally applicable advice take priority. Data checked against the linked sources on September 22, 2026; this is a source check, not field testing.

Reading a footprintEach footprint is a 2 × 2 ft square drawn at the block preset. Dots are final plants; faint circles show each plant’s share of space. Head lettuce at 12 inches: 4 plants.

Find a vegetable

Filter this table by crop name. No separate crop pages.

18 crops

Selected final spacing — all distances in inches. Footprint: final plants at block spacing in a 2 × 2 ft square.
Crop	Equal-distance block	Traditional row	8 × 4 ft bed	Per 8 ft row	Assumptions & source
Beet	6 × 6 inSource range: 4–6 in	2 × 30 in	128	48	Block preset uses the wider end of the published range. Thin seedlings to the selected final spacing.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Broccoli	18 × 18 inSource range: 18 in	18 × 30 in	10	5	Allow for the mature plant rather than the transplant size.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Cabbage	18 × 18 inSource range: 18 in	12 × 30 in	10	8	Head size and cultivar matter; check the packet before reducing spacing.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Carrot	3 × 3 inSource range: 2–3 in	3 × 24 in	512	32	Positions represent final thinned roots, not the number of seeds to sow.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Cauliflower	18 × 18 inSource range: 18 in	18 × 36 in	10	5	Selected distances describe final plants, not a seed-starting tray.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Cucumber (ground-grown)	36 × 36 inSource range: 24–36 in	48 × 60 in	2	2	Ground-grown vines. A trellis marker does not automatically change this preset; enter spacing suitable for your training method.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Eggplant	24 × 24 inSource range: 18–24 in	36 × 36 in	8	2	Variety and mature canopy can require additional room.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Head lettuce	12 × 12 inSource range: 10–12 in	12 × 30 in	32	8	Full heads, not dense baby-leaf production. Block source: GardenNotes 713.Block source · source reviewed April 2023 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Bulb onion	6 × 6 inSource range: 4–6 in	4 × 24 in	128	24	Mature bulbs rather than green onions; final spacing after thinning.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Garden pea	6 × 6 inSource range: 4–6 in	1 × 30 in	128	96	Check support needs for your variety. Trellis mode restricts this crop to one row along the back edge.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Pepper	18 × 18 inSource range: 15–18 in	24 × 30 in	10	4	Choose a larger distance if your variety or local guidance calls for it.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Potato	15 × 15 inSource range: 12–15 in	14 × 36 in	18	6	Leave practical access for hilling; the planner does not add that access automatically.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Radish	3 × 3 inSource range: 2–3 in	1 × 18 in	512	96	Small-root types; larger radishes can need more space.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Spinach	6 × 6 inSource range: 4–6 in	2 × 24 in	128	48	Final plants; a baby-leaf harvesting approach has different spacing.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Summer squash	48 × 48 inSource range: 36–48 in	24 × 48 in	2	4	Large plants can extend outside a bed. The diagram does not model the canopy.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Tomato (supported)	24 × 24 inSource range: 24, supported in	36 × 48 in	8	2	Block spacing assumes a trellis or support. Provide support even if no shared trellis edge is marked.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Turnip	6 × 6 inSource range: 4–6 in	2 × 24 in	128	48	Final root spacing, not dense production for harvested greens.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022
Bush bean	6 × 6 inSource range: 6 in	4 × 36 in	128	24	Block spacing may need more attention to airflow; traditional rows use a different pattern.Block source · source reviewed September 2024 Row source · reviewed March 2022

Capacity columns are calculated with the same rules as the plant spacing calculator: the block preset across a whole 8 × 4 ft bed with half-spacing edges, and the traditional-row in-row distance along one 8 ft row. They count final plants for one crop on its own, not seeds, and not a mixed bed. See how mixed beds work out.

Choose the method before the number

Traditional rows include a larger interval between rows. Blocks use close rows within a bed reached from outside. A square-foot grid is an organisational aid; it does not mean every crop fits within one square.

Once you have a suitable distance, calculate the actual positions or arrange several crops. For the differences between methods, read the spacing guide.