How to Use the Garden Row & Seedling Calculator
The first question anyone starting a vegetable garden runs into is "how many rows can I fit, and how many seedlings can I actually plant?" Enter your garden bed's width and length, the row spacing (bed width plus the walking path), and the seedling spacing, and this calculator returns the number of rows, seedlings per row, and total seedlings in one go.
Row spacing is the growing bed width plus the path people walk between rows — 24-36 inches is common depending on the crop. Seedling spacing depends on the mature size of the plant: small crops like lettuce need about 8-10 inches, while larger crops like tomatoes or peppers need 16-20 inches. The math divides the bed width by row spacing to get the row count, then divides the length by seedling spacing to get seedlings per row.
Working this out ahead of time helps you buy the right number of seedlings instead of guessing and either overbuying or running short. If you want a buffer at the edges of your bed, just enter a slightly shorter length.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's the bed width plus the walking path between rows. Common values are 24-36 inches depending on the crop.
Base it on the mature size of the crop. Small crops like lettuce use about 8-10 inches; larger crops like tomatoes or peppers use 16-20 inches.
This calculator uses the full length you enter. If you want extra buffer at the edges, enter a slightly shorter length.