vegetable spacing

High Density Planting Chart for Vegetables (2026 Spacing Guide)

High Density Planting Chart for Vegetables (2026 Spacing Guide) A high density planting chart assigns each vegetable 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square foot based on its mature size — tomatoes get 1, lettuce 4, beets 9, and radishes 16. The rule comes from one formula: plants per square = (12 ÷ in-row spacing in inches)². A 4×4 ft bed holds 16 squares, so a single bed can grow anywhere from 16 tomatoes to 256 radishes. Match crops to the chart instantly with our Square Foot Garden Calculator(/garden/square-foot-garden-calculator). The most common mistake in laying out intensive beds is reading the back of the seed packet literally. A packet that says "thin to 3 inches apart, rows 12 inches apart" is written for tractor-row farming. In a raised bed with no walking rows, that same carrot gets 3-inch spacing in every direction — which turns a 12-plant row into...