Planning tool
Raised Bed Spacing Planner
Use the catalog seed detail panel to estimate how many plants fit in a raised bed from bed width, bed length, in-row spacing, row spacing, and crop size.
Inputs
- Bed width and length
- Use the same dimensions as the seed detail estimator so the plant count matches the bed you can reach and maintain.
- Catalog in-row spacing
- Uses each seed entry spacing value as the column spacing estimate in the bed-fit calculation.
- Catalog row spacing
- Uses each seed entry row-spacing value as the row estimate before capping large non-container crops.
- Selected seed
- Switch seed cards in the catalog to compare compact roots, greens, herbs, flowers, and larger warm-season crops.
What it returns
- Plant count estimate for the selected seed and bed dimensions.
- Column and row counts based on catalog spacing and row-spacing data.
- Spacing summary that matches the seed detail panel.
- Large-crop cap for non-container entries so very wide beds do not imply unrealistic dense plantings.
- Internal links to spacing, watering, soil-prep, and rotation support paths.
Planning guidance
- Reachable width
- Use 2 to 4 feet wide beds as the common starting point, then keep beds narrow enough to reach the center without stepping in.
- Compaction rule
- Avoid stepping in the bed; use paths around the bed so the planting area stays loose enough for productive roots.
- Watering caveat
- Raised beds dry out more quickly than in-ground beds, especially during hot and dry weather.
- Rotation caveat
- Use multiple smaller beds when possible, then avoid planting the same crop family in the same bed for 3 to 4 years.
Bed-fit catalog paths
- Full Seed Catalog 103 varieties with spacing data
- Vegetable Garden Planner 44 vegetable entries
- Container Garden Planner 72 compact and container-ready entries
- Part-Shade Garden Planner 26 leaf, root, and herb entries for lower-light beds
- Cool Season Garden Planner 38 spring and fall entries
- Warm Season Garden Planner 55 summer entries with wider spacing checks
- Seed Spacing and Thinning Planner Check final plant spacing and thinning before trusting bed-capacity estimates
- Garden Watering Planner Adjust irrigation because raised beds dry faster than in-ground beds
- Garden Soil Prep Planner Check soil tests, drainage, workable moisture, and compaction before filling beds
- Crop Rotation and Companion Planner Keep same-family crops out of the same bed for rotation planning
Compact bed examples
- French Breakfast Radish 2" spacing · 8" rows · 28 days
- Evergreen Bunching Onion 2" spacing · 12" rows · 65 days
- Danvers 126 Carrot 2" spacing · 12" rows · 70 days
- Sugar Snap Pea 2" spacing · 18" rows · 62 days
- Astro Arugula 4" spacing · 8" rows · 35 days
- Vit Mache Corn Salad 4" spacing · 12" rows · 50 days
- Purple Top White Globe Turnip 4" spacing · 12" rows · 55 days
- Detroit Dark Red Beet 4" spacing · 12" rows · 58 days
- Hollow Crown Parsnip 4" spacing · 18" rows · 120 days
- Sweet Alyssum 6" spacing · 8" rows · 50 days
- Bloomsdale Spinach 6" spacing · 12" rows · 42 days
- Santo Cilantro 6" spacing · 12" rows · 50 days
Source basis
- UMD Extension building raised beds for vegetable gardening Raised-bed width, permanent paths, soil compaction, yield, watering, and bed-dimension planning guidance
- UMN Extension raised bed gardens Reach-based bed width, watering, crop rotation, soil testing, and avoid-stepping-in-beds guidance
- Illinois Extension vegetable gardening with raised beds Four-foot reach, uniform spacing, no-step bed layout, and compaction-reduction guidance