How to Space Your Vegetable Garden

Are you planning to start a vegetable garden but you’ve been asking yourself…

How do I space my garden so it doesn’t get too crowded?

Then this is the blog post for you! Here, I answer some common questions about spacing plants in a vegetable garden and provide vegetable spacing guides for both traditional row gardens and square foot gardens for easy planting.

A toddler wearing a light blue tank top and shorts stands between rows of young crops in a garden. In the background, an adult in a hat and work clothes tends to the garden under a bright blue sky, surrounded by trees and greenery.

And, if you want some tips and tricks for starting your seeds, check out the video below. Whether you’re planning a traditional row garden or a square foot garden, you can have success in your vegetable garden this year:

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How do you space rows in a garden?

In a traditional row garden, most people just choose a row size and stick with it. It might be based on the size of a wheelbarrow, the size of your feet, or how much space you need when you crouch down.

Traditional market garden spacing is 30 inches for produce and 18 inches for walkways. But I’ve also known people to make their walkways only 12 inches or make their rows 4 ft. apart to fit in a tractor of some sort. Some people space rows based on the size of their rototiller.

The minimum space you should leave between rows would be 12 inches, but it really depends on what your crop is. There is no hard and fast rule. It will come down to trial and error, so make a decision based on your situation and go with it.

A lush garden with rows of small, green plants, possibly corn, growing in evenly spaced lines. The garden is surrounded by tall, dense trees under a clear blue sky. The scene suggests a peaceful, sunny day in a rural or suburban area.

Why is the spacing on your seed packet different from the spacing for square foot gardening?

The spacing on the seed packet assumes that you’re planting a traditional row garden and have plenty of space. This is the optimal spacing for getting the best harvest. However, what you gain in extra harvest, you lose in having more space for weeds to grow.

The square foot gardening method is a spacing that minimally sacrifices production for improved weed control. Since the plants are planted closer together, they will eventually shade out the weeds. The method also assumes that you don’t have a lot of space and are planting in raised beds, although you don’t have to. The square foot gardening method works well for in-ground gardening as well.

A backyard garden with multiple rectangular raised beds, some with blue-painted wooden sides. Freshly planted seedlings are visible in the beds. The area is lined with straw paths, and there's greenery, trees, and a wooden fence in the background.

HOW TO choose BETWEEN traditional row garden spacing & square foot garden spacing

Ultimately, it comes down to the space you have available and your personal preference.

If you have a larger space and plan on using machinery to till weeds between the rows, a traditional row garden probably makes sense. You might also have always grown a garden in rows or tried square foot gardening and don’t really like it. And that’s fine too!

Finally, for growing things like pumpkins and corn on a larger scale, row gardening just makes more sense.

If you are gardening in a small urban backyard or a community garden, square foot gardening spacing makes more sense. You’re able to grow more flowers and vegetables in less space, and once the initial weeding is done, it can become low maintenance.

The square foot gardening method might also be a good option for those looking to scale back on gardening. You can still enjoy having a vegetable garden, but the smaller space means it’s less work and easier to manage.

Two wooden raised garden beds are filled with young plants. Between them is a green wheelbarrow and a shovel. In the background, leafy trees and shrubs surround a greenhouse on the left side of the image. The sky is overcast.

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How far apart should plants be in the garden?

1. Traditional Row Garden Spacing

Always make sure to check your seed packets for specific instructions relevant to the variety of vegetables you’re planting. Here is a general guide (in inches) for spacing seeds in a traditional row garden to get you started!

Text reads: "Spacing Between Plants in a traditional row garden". A list of vegetables follows, each with specific spacing measurements. In the background, there are faded watercolor illustrations of vegetables. At the bottom, the text reads "Shifting Roots".

2. Square Foot Garden Spacing

If you’re new to square-foot gardening, before you learn to space a square-foot garden, check out these posts to introduce yourself to the lingo and gain a better understanding of the square-foot gardening method:

This square foot garden spacing chart follows Mel Bartholomew’s square foot gardening method, wherein most vegetables are planted with 1, 4, 9, or 16 seeds or plants per square foot.

I hope this short explanation of seed spacing for vegetable gardens helps you on your own gardening journey. If you liked this blog post, follow me on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram for more cold-climate gardening tips, delicious recipes, and cut flower goodness! I also make weekly videos over on my YouTube channel. I hope to see you there!

WISH YOU COULD GROW FRESH VEGETABLES IN A SMALL SPACE?

If you really want to up your small space gardening game, you’ll want to grab a copy of Small Garden, Big Harvest. It’s everything you need to maximize every inch of growing space you have available, grow enough produce to have something fresh from the garden every week, and feel more at peace knowing you’re contributing to your food security in some small way.