Square-Foot Gardening 101

6 min read · Updated May 2026 · 68 plants with verified spacing

Square-foot gardening (SFG) divides growing space into 1-foot squares, each planted with a specific number of crops based on their mature size. It's the most efficient way to grow food in small spaces — and it's the planning model Plot is built around.

The Basic Rule

Each square foot holds one type of plant. How many depends on the plant's mature width:

1/sq ft

Large plants

Broccoli, cabbage, tomato, pepper

4/sq ft

Medium plants

Lettuce, chard, kale, bush beans

9/sq ft

Small plants

Spinach, beets, turnips, garlic

16/sq ft

Tiny plants

Carrots, radishes, onions, scallions

Plant Spacing Referencefrom our database

2 per sq ft1 plant

Cucumber55d

4 per sq ft18 plants

Marigold Rutabaga90d Lima Bean75d Lettuce45d Leek180d Parsley80d Potato90d Celery100d Fennel80d Kohlrabi55d Swiss Chard55d Mustard Greens40d Endive55d Radicchio70d Bok Choy45d Corn80d Nasturtium Calendula

9 per sq ft2 plants

Pole Bean65d Pea60d

9 per sq ft9 plants

Beet60d Turnip45d Cilantro45d Onion120d Parsnip110d Green Bean55d Arugula35d Spinach45d Garlic180d

16 per sq ft2 plants

Carrot70d Radish25d

Succession Planting

Don't plant everything at once. After harvesting a fast crop (radishes: 21 days), replant the square with a summer crop. Then after that, a fall crop. One square can produce three harvests in a season.

Example 4-foot bed, one season:

Spring (April–May): Radishes, spinach, lettuce

Early summer (June): Bush beans, carrots

Late summer (August): Kale, beets, turnips

Plan your own square-foot garden with Plot's visual grid editor.

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