Square Foot Garden Planner
Built by Johnny Alto · free, no sign-up · updated July 26, 2026
Plan a square foot garden square by square. Set your grid size, pick a crop, and click the squares to place it. Each square is one square foot, and the planner uses square foot gardening densities so it tells you exactly how many plants fit, from one tomato per square to sixteen carrots.
Each square is one square foot. The number shown is how many of that crop fit in a square under the square foot gardening method, which packs plants tighter than traditional rows by giving each the space it actually needs. Print your plan to take out to the garden.
How square foot gardening works
Square foot gardening divides a raised bed into a grid of one-foot squares and plants each square by how much room a crop actually needs, rather than in long spaced-out rows. A square holds one large plant like a tomato or broccoli, or four medium ones like lettuce, or up to sixteen small ones like carrots and radishes. Because nothing is wasted on row gaps, a small bed grows a surprising amount, and the tidy grid makes planting, watering, and weeding simple.
This planner puts that method on screen. Set your bed's dimensions in feet to build the grid, choose a crop, and click squares to fill them. The planner shows the per-square count for each crop and tallies the total plants, so you know exactly what to buy and sow.
Planning tips
Put tall crops like tomatoes, pole beans, and corn on the north side so they do not shade shorter plants. Group things with similar watering needs, and leave a square or two for herbs and flowers like basil and marigolds, which help with pests and pollination. Rotate families season to season by saving your plan and changing what goes where, and remember a classic 4-by-4 bed of sixteen squares is plenty to start.
Garden gear
Frequently asked questions
How many plants per square foot?
It depends on the crop's size: 1 per square for large plants like tomatoes and broccoli, 4 for lettuce and basil, 9 for beans and spinach, and 16 for carrots and radishes.
What is square foot gardening?
A method that divides a raised bed into one-foot squares and plants each by the space a crop needs, rather than in rows. It grows more in less space and is easy to manage.
How big should a square foot garden be?
A 4-by-4-foot bed of sixteen squares is the classic starting size, reachable from all sides. Scale up with more beds rather than wider ones you cannot reach across.
Where do tall plants go?
On the north side of the bed so they do not shade shorter crops, with trellised plants like pole beans and cucumbers along the back.
More calculators
This calculator gives estimates for planning only; always confirm against your own measurements and species research. Some links are to our buying guides, which contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
← All calculators · Buying guides · About · Affiliate Disclosure · Privacy Policy