Square Foot Gardening Chart

Mel Bartholomew’s method on one chart: how many plants fit in each square foot for 42 crops, the planting patterns inside the square, the trellis crops, when to plant and how much Mel’s Mix a bed needs. Then plan your own 4 × 4 bed.

Contents

1Plants per square for 42 crops
2The spacing patterns
3Plan a 4 × 4 bed
4Big and climbing crops
5When to plant
6Mel’s Mix calculator
7Building and running the bed
Sources and notes

1.Plants per square for 42 crops

The method gives every crop a fixed number of plants per 1 ft square: 16 small plants 3 in apart, 9 at 4 in, 4 at 6 in or 1 in the centre, with 8 peas or pole beans along a trellis and the biggest plants spread over several squares. Search for a crop or filter by count and season.

Find a crop

Plants per square

Season

Showing 42 of 42 crops. 24 cool-season, 18 warm-season.

Carrot

Carrot family

16per square

cool 3 in apart. When soil reaches 60°F. Harvest: 70–95 days.
Long roots like a deeper 'top hat' square.

Radish

Cabbage family

16per square

cool 3 in apart. 2–4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 25–30 days.
Fastest crop; tuck into corners of big-plant squares.

Onion (bulb)

Onion family

16per square

cool 3 in apart. 4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 100–120 days.
Sets or transplants; larger bulbs at 9 per square.

Green onion

Onion family

16per square

cool 3 in apart. 4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 60–90 days.
Pull as needed; resow every few weeks.

Chives

Onion family

16per square

cool 3 in apart. Perennial: plant in spring. Harvest: 90 days.
Comes back each year in the same square.

Beet

Beet and spinach family

9per square

cool 4 in apart. When soil reaches 45°F. Harvest: 55–65 days.
Each seed is a cluster: thin to one seedling.

Spinach

Beet and spinach family

9per square

cool 4 in apart. 3–6 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 40–45 days.
Bolts in heat: sow again in late summer.

Turnip

Cabbage family

9per square

cool 4 in apart. 2–4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 40–60 days.
Greens and roots both edible.

Bush bean

Pea and bean family

9per square

warm 4 in apart. After last frost. Harvest: 50–60 days.
Sow a new square every 2–3 weeks.

Leek

Onion family

9per square

cool 4 in apart. 4 weeks before last frost.
Transplants; slow to size up.

Garlic

Onion family

9per square

cool 4 in apart. Plant cloves in fall.
Harvest the next summer when leaves yellow.

One square foot planted with 8 pea plants, seen from above

Pea

Pea and bean family · climbs a trellis

8per square

cool 2 rows of 4. As soon as soil thaws. Harvest: 60–70 days.
Two rows of 4 along the trellis.

Pole bean

Pea and bean family · climbs a trellis

8per square

warm 2 rows of 4. After last frost. Harvest: 65–75 days.
Climbs the netting; keeps bearing if picked young.

Leaf lettuce

Daisy family

4per square

cool 6 in apart. 3–4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 40–50 days.
Pick outer leaves; resow every 2–3 weeks.

Swiss chard

Beet and spinach family

4per square

cool 6 in apart. 2 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 40–45 days.
Crops from spring to fall.

Celery

Carrot family

4per square

cool 6 in apart. After last frost.
Transplants; needs steady water.

Sweet corn

Grass family

4per square

warm 6 in apart. When soil reaches 60°F. Harvest: 65–90 days.
Plant a block of squares for pollination.

Potato

Tomato family

4per square

cool 6 in apart. 1–2 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 70–90 days.
Add a 'top hat' frame and hill with mix.

Parsley

Carrot family

4per square

cool 6 in apart. 2–3 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 70–85 days.
Biennial; picks all season.

Basil

Mint family

4per square

warm 6 in apart. 2 weeks after last frost.
Pinch tips to keep it bushy.

Cilantro

Carrot family

4per square

cool 6 in apart. Spring or fall.
Bolts in heat; some charts sow 9.

Oregano

Mint family

4per square

warm 6 in apart. Perennial: plant in spring.
Spreads: trim back each year.

Marigold

Daisy family

4per square

warm 6 in apart. After last frost.
Flowers draw pollinators to the bed.

Strawberry

Rose family

4per square

cool 6 in apart. Perennial: plant in early spring.
Snip runners to keep 4 plants.

Cucumber

Squash family · climbs a trellis

2per square

warm 6 in apart. 1–2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 50–65 days.
Train up the trellis; 1 per square if sprawling.

Tomato (staked)

Tomato family · climbs a trellis

1plant per square

warm 12 in apart. 1–2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 70–90 days.
Vining types tied to a stake or trellis.

Pepper

Tomato family

1plant per square

warm 12 in apart. 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 65–80 days.
Radishes fit in the square's corners.

Eggplant

Tomato family

1plant per square

warm 12 in apart. 2–3 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 75–90 days.
Loves heat; a stake helps when laden.

Broccoli

Cabbage family

1plant per square

cool 12 in apart. 2–4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 60–80 days.
Side shoots follow the main head.

Cabbage

Cabbage family

1plant per square

cool 12 in apart. 4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 70–120 days.
Small-headed types suit one square.

Cauliflower

Cabbage family

1plant per square

cool 12 in apart. 2 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 60–75 days.
Tie leaves over the head to keep it white.

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage family

1plant per square

cool 12 in apart. 2–4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 90–100 days.
Long season; sweeter after frost.

Kale

Cabbage family

1plant per square

cool 12 in apart. 4 weeks before last frost. Harvest: 50–70 days.
Pick lower leaves; crops into winter.

Collards

Cabbage family

1plant per square

cool 12 in apart. Spring or late summer. Harvest: 55–85 days.
Takes both heat and frost.

Okra

Mallow family

1plant per square

warm 12 in apart. After last frost, in warm soil. Harvest: 55–65 days.
Tall: put it on the north side.

Sweet potato

Morning glory family

1plant per square

warm 12 in apart. 1–2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 90–120 days.
Slips; vines can climb a trellis.

Tomato (bush)

Tomato family

4squares for 1 plant

warm 2 × 2 block. 1–2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 70–90 days.
Determinate types sprawl over a 2 × 2 block.

Summer squash

Squash family

9squares for 1 plant

warm 3 × 3 block. 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 40–55 days.
Bush zucchini fills a 3 × 3 block.

Winter squash

Squash family · climbs a trellis

2squares for 1 plant

warm 2 × 1 block. 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 85–120 days.
Vining types; tie heavy fruit to the netting.

Melon

Squash family · climbs a trellis

2squares for 1 plant

warm 2 × 1 block. 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 80–90 days.
Cradle each fruit in a sling.

Watermelon (small)

Squash family · climbs a trellis

2squares for 1 plant

warm 2 × 1 block. After last frost, in warm soil. Harvest: 80–90 days.
Icebox types; support fruit with slings.

Pumpkin (small)

Squash family · climbs a trellis

2squares for 1 plant

warm 2 × 1 block. 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest: 85–120 days.
Pie types only; big pumpkins need open ground.

Counts follow Mel Bartholomew’s method as published by the Square Foot Gardening Foundation and in UC and UW extension handouts. Days to harvest run from sowing or setting out (UGA C963, NDSU H-912, UGA C1039); setting-out times are from UNH Extension.

2.The spacing patterns

Inside each square the plants sit on an even grid, so every plant gets the same room. Read the seed packet’s “thin to” spacing: 3 in means 16 per square, 4 in means 9, 6 in means 4 and 12 in means 1. Choose a pattern to see it planted.

One square foot planted with 16 carrot plants in this pattern — **Figure 2.** Carrot, 16 per square.

16plants per square

3 in apart, a 4 × 4 grid. Split the square into a 4 × 4 grid of 3 in boxes and sow one spot in the middle of each.

Crops at this spacing: carrot, radish, onion (bulb), green onion, chives.

3.Plan a 4 × 4 bed

Pick a crop, then select squares in the bed to plant them. North is at the top, where the trellis stands. The plan counts the plants, checks for tall crops shading short ones, climbers away from the trellis and crops that need several squares, and suggests what to sow next.

Pea 8

Pole bean, 8 plants in this square of the sample bed

Pole bean 8 Cucumber, 2 plants in this square of the sample bed

Cucumber 2 Tomato, 1 plants in this square of the sample bed

Tomato 1

Pepper 1

Basil 4

Swiss chard, 4 plants in this square of the sample bed

Swiss chard 4 Marigold, 4 plants in this square of the sample bed

Marigold 4 Leaf lettuce, 4 plants in this square of the sample bed

Leaf lettuce 4 Beet, 9 plants in this square of the sample bed

Beet 9

Spinach 9

Strawberry, 4 plants in this square of the sample bed

Strawberry 4 Carrot, 16 plants in this square of the sample bed

Carrot 16

Radish 16

Onion 16

Bush bean 9

Figure 3. Each square shows the crop planted at its count. Squares are 1 ft.

Crop to plant

Leaf lettuce4 per square, 6 in apart. Cool season.

Selecting a square will

Start from

115 plants in 16 of 16 squares.

Plants in this bed
Crop	Squares	Plants
Carrot	1	16
Radish	1	16
Onion (bulb)	1	16
Beet	1	9
Spinach	1	9
Bush bean	1	9
Pea	1	8
Pole bean	1	8
Basil	1	4
Swiss chard	1	4
Marigold	1	4
Leaf lettuce	1	4
Strawberry	1	4
Cucumber	1	2
Tomato (staked)	1	1
Pepper	1	1
Total	16	115

9 cool-season and 7 warm-season squares. The cool crops finish by early summer: replant those squares with bush beans or another warm crop, then spinach for fall.
Use the gaps: sow a few radishes or scallions in the corners of the tomato square while it is small.
Mel’s Mix for this bed: 8 cu ft at 6 in deep, about 2.7 cu ft each of compost, peat moss or coir and vermiculite.

4.Big and climbing crops

Vining crops go up, not out. A trellis along the north side lets peas, pole beans and cucumbers fill a single square, and keeps a vining squash or melon to about 2 squares. Left to sprawl, a bush summer squash needs a 3 × 3 block.

The north side of a raised bed: peas and pole beans climbing netting on a wooden trellis, a cucumber vine with fruit and a staked tomato with red and green fruit — **Figure 4.** The trellis row of the bed: 8 peas, 8 pole beans, 2 cucumbers and a staked tomato.

Footprint of each crop (squares, north at the top)
Pea	8 per square	Trellis. Two rows of 4 along the trellis.
Pole bean	8 per square	Trellis. Climbs the netting; keeps bearing if picked young.
Cucumber	2 per square	Trellis. Train up the trellis; 1 per square if sprawling.
Tomato (staked)	1 per square	Trellis. Vining types tied to a stake or trellis.
Tomato (bush)	4 squares	Determinate types sprawl over a 2 × 2 block.
Summer squash	9 squares	Bush zucchini fills a 3 × 3 block.
Winter squash	2 squares	Trellis. Vining types; tie heavy fruit to the netting.
Melon	2 squares	Trellis. Cradle each fruit in a sling.
Watermelon (small)	2 squares	Trellis. Icebox types; support fruit with slings.
Pumpkin (small)	2 squares	Trellis. Pie types only; big pumpkins need open ground.

Put the trellis on the north or west side so the climbers never shade the short crops (Phipps).
Plant tall crops at the back and short ones at the front, south side.
A vining squash on a trellis takes 2 squares; a sprawling bush takes 9 (Square Foot Gardening Foundation).
Use the gaps: radishes or scallions fit in the corners of a pepper square until the pepper fills it (UW-Extension).

5.When to plant

Setting-out times are counted from your average last spring frost. Enter that date to turn the weeks into calendar dates, with a first harvest estimated from the days to maturity.

Average last spring frost

Show

Last frost Apr 20: 42 crops, earliest first. Crops planted by soil temperature or season show their rule instead of a date.

Crop	Plant or set out	Rule	First harvest
Spinach	Mar 9 to Mar 30	3–6 weeks before last frost	Apr 18 to May 14
Radish	Mar 23 to Apr 6	2–4 weeks before last frost	Apr 17 to May 6
Onion (bulb)	Mar 23	4 weeks before last frost	Jul 1 to Jul 21
Green onion	Mar 23	4 weeks before last frost	May 22 to Jun 21
Turnip	Mar 23 to Apr 6	2–4 weeks before last frost	May 2 to Jun 5
Leek	Mar 23	4 weeks before last frost	not listed
Leaf lettuce	Mar 23 to Mar 30	3–4 weeks before last frost	May 2 to May 19
Broccoli	Mar 23 to Apr 6	2–4 weeks before last frost	May 22 to Jun 25
Cabbage	Mar 23	4 weeks before last frost	Jun 1 to Jul 21
Brussels sprouts	Mar 23 to Apr 6	2–4 weeks before last frost	Jun 21 to Jul 15
Kale	Mar 23	4 weeks before last frost	May 12 to Jun 1
Parsley	Mar 30 to Apr 6	2–3 weeks before last frost	Jun 8 to Jun 30
Swiss chard	Apr 6	2 weeks before last frost	May 16 to May 21
Potato	Apr 6 to Apr 13	1–2 weeks before last frost	Jun 15 to Jul 12
Cauliflower	Apr 6	2 weeks before last frost	Jun 5 to Jun 20
Bush bean	Apr 20 to Apr 27	After last frost	Jun 9 to Jun 26
Pole bean	Apr 20 to Apr 27	After last frost	Jun 24 to Jul 11
Celery	Apr 20 to Apr 27	After last frost	not listed
Marigold	Apr 20 to Apr 27	After last frost	not listed
Cucumber	Apr 27 to May 4	1–2 weeks after last frost	Jun 16 to Jul 8
Tomato (staked)	Apr 27 to May 4	1–2 weeks after last frost	Jul 6 to Aug 2
Okra	Apr 27 to May 11	After last frost, in warm soil	Jun 21 to Jul 15
Sweet potato	Apr 27 to May 4	1–2 weeks after last frost	Jul 26 to Sep 1
Tomato (bush)	Apr 27 to May 4	1–2 weeks after last frost	Jul 6 to Aug 2
Watermelon (small)	Apr 27 to May 4	After last frost, in warm soil	Jul 16 to Aug 2
Basil	May 4	2 weeks after last frost	not listed
Pepper	May 4	2 weeks after last frost	Jul 8 to Jul 23
Eggplant	May 4 to May 11	2–3 weeks after last frost	Jul 18 to Aug 9
Summer squash	May 4	2 weeks after last frost	Jun 13 to Jun 28
Winter squash	May 4	2 weeks after last frost	Jul 28 to Sep 1
Melon	May 4	2 weeks after last frost	Jul 23 to Aug 2
Pumpkin (small)	May 4	2 weeks after last frost	Jul 28 to Sep 1
Carrot	When soil reaches 60°F	no fixed week	70–95 days after planting
Chives	Perennial: plant in spring	no fixed week	90 days after planting
Beet	When soil reaches 45°F	no fixed week	55–65 days after planting
Garlic	Plant cloves in fall	no fixed week	not listed
Pea	As soon as soil thaws	no fixed week	60–70 days after planting
Sweet corn	When soil reaches 60°F	no fixed week	65–90 days after planting
Cilantro	Spring or fall	no fixed week	not listed
Oregano	Perennial: plant in spring	no fixed week	not listed
Strawberry	Perennial: plant in early spring	no fixed week	not listed
Collards	Spring or late summer	no fixed week	55–85 days after planting

One square, three crops

After each harvest add a trowel of compost and plant something different (UC Master Gardeners).

6.Mel’s Mix calculator

The bed is filled with Mel’s Mix, not garden soil: equal parts by volume of blended compost, peat moss (or coconut coir) and coarse vermiculite. A 6 in depth suits most crops; extension handouts give 6–8 in.

Three heaps on a tarp: dark crumbly compost, brown fibrous peat moss and golden flakes of vermiculite — **Figure 5.** The three parts of Mel’s Mix, left to right: compost, peat moss and vermiculite.

Length, ft Width, ft Depth Beds

8 cu ft of Mel’s Mix59.8 gallons, 0.3 cubic yards, for 1 bed of 4 × 4 ft, 6 in deep: 16 full squares.

Blended compost	2.7 cu ft	19.9 gal
Peat moss or coir	2.7 cu ft	19.9 gal
Coarse vermiculite	2.7 cu ft	19.9 gal

Blend several kinds of compost. Potatoes and long carrots like a deeper top-hat square.

7.Building and running the bed

A bottomless wooden box, a permanent grid and a few habits make the system work. Beds stay narrow enough to reach the middle from the sides.

A 4 by 4 cedar raised bed on a bark path in a lawn, divided by a wooden lath grid into 16 squares of vegetables, herbs and flowers, with peas, beans, a cucumber and a tomato on a trellis along the back — **Figure 6.** A planted 4 × 4 bed: 1 ft squares, a lath grid and the trellis on the north side.

Common bed sizes
Bed	Squares	Mix, 6 in	Use
2 × 2 ft	4	2 cu ft	Patio or tabletop starter
2 × 4 ft	8	4 cu ft	Against a wall or fence: reach from one side
4 × 4 ft	16	8 cu ft	The classic first bed
4 × 8 ft	32	16 cu ft	Salads plus a summer crop
4 × 12 ft	48	24 cu ft	Feeds a household through summer

No wider than 4 ftReach the middle without stepping in; 2 ft wide if you can reach from one side only.
A permanent 1 ft gridLath, slats or string, fixed on top of the box and left in place all season.
Never walk on the soilLeave 2–3 ft aisles between beds and tend from the aisles.
6–8 hours of sunAway from tree roots and shade, on ground that doesn't puddle after rain.
Tall crops to the northTrellis on the north or west side; short crops on the south side so nothing is shaded.
A pinch of seed per holeSow 2 or 3 seeds in each finger hole, then keep the strongest seedling.
Replant every empty squareAfter a harvest, add a trowel of compost and plant a different crop.
Water at the baseBy hand or drip; the mix holds water like a sponge, so don't overdo it.

Sources and notes

Plant counts follow Mel Bartholomew’s method. Some extension charts space a few crops more widely: Cornell gives staked tomatoes 2 square feet, and Phipps plants basil, parsley and chard 2 per square. Cornell’s comparison: a 10 ft row gives about 40 carrots, square foot spacing about 270. Timing assumes your average last frost; local weather and varieties shift every date.

Square Foot Gardening Foundation (Mel Bartholomew): Find square foot spacing for garden plants
University of California Cooperative Extension, Master Gardeners of Tulare-Kings Counties: How to square foot garden
University of Wisconsin-Extension, Taylor County: Square foot gardening class notes (Mel Bartholomew and Suzy Valentine)
Cornell University, School of Integrative Plant Science: Square foot gardening
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: Square foot gardening
University of New Hampshire Extension: Growing vegetables, when to plant your vegetable garden
University of Georgia Extension, Circular 963: Vegetable planting chart; Circular 1039: Home garden Swiss chard
North Dakota State University Extension, H-912: Vegetable maturity dates, yields and storage