Free tool
Raised bed & spacing planner
Enter your bed size and pick a crop — we'll work out how many plants fit at the right spacing and draw a top-down plan you can follow.
The longer side of the bed.
The shorter side — the reach across the bed.
Spacing comes from typical UK growing guidance.
Lettuce plants that fit
36
4 across × 9 down, 25 cm spacing
Across the width
4
120 cm wide
Down the length
9
240 cm long
Top-down plan
Dots show roughly where plants sit — the bed holds 36 in total.
Spacing figures are typical UK guidance — a few centimetres either way is fine. Leave room to reach the middle of the bed, and edge plants can sit a little closer to the sides than the gap between rows.
How to use it
Enter the length and width of your raised bed — use the toggle to switch between centimetres and metres, whichever is on your tape measure. Then choose the crop you want to grow. The planner reads that crop's recommended plant spacing and works out how many fit across the width and down the length, then draws a top-down plan with a dot for each plant. Everything updates as you type, so you can try a few crops or bed sizes before you commit. A standard UK raised bed is 2.4m × 1.2m, which is the default here.
How the calculation works
Both dimensions are converted to centimetres, then divided by the crop's spacing and rounded down: plants across = bed width ÷ spacing, plants down = bed length ÷ spacing. Multiply the two for the total. Rounding down means the plan never overcrowds the bed — there'll usually be a little spare room at the edges, which is exactly where you want it. The grid layout (equal spacing in both directions) typically packs in more than traditional rows because you don't need wide gaps for hoeing in a no-dig bed. Spacing figures are typical UK guidance and a few centimetres either way makes little difference, so treat the totals as a sensible starting point rather than a hard limit.
Frequently asked questions
- How many plants fit in a 1.2m × 2.4m raised bed?
- It depends entirely on the crop's spacing. Lettuce at 25cm gives about 4 across and 9 down — roughly 36 plants in a standard 1.2m × 2.4m bed. Onions at 10cm fit far more, while a courgette at 90cm needs most of the bed to itself. Pick the crop above and the plan updates instantly.
- Should I space plants in a grid or in rows?
- In a raised bed, an even grid (equidistant spacing in both directions) usually gives more plants and better ground cover than traditional rows. This planner lays out a grid using each crop's recommended plant spacing. Traditional row spacing is wider to allow hoeing, which you rarely need in a no-dig raised bed.
- How wide should a raised bed be?
- Aim for no more than about 1.2m wide so you can reach the centre from either side without standing on the soil. Length is up to you and the space you have. Keep beds you can only reach from one side narrower — around 60–75cm.