Plant Spacing Calculator

Calculate how many plants or trees fit in an area based on row and plant spacing.

How to use

  1. Enter the total area in m² (1 hectare = 10,000 m²).
  2. Enter the spacing between rows and between plants within a row, in metres.
  3. The number of plants and the density per hectare appear.

About this tool

Plant spacing determines density, light interception, root competition and yield. The calculation is simple: area divided by (row spacing × plant spacing). A 3 × 2 m spacing gives 1,667 plants per hectare.

The right spacing depends on the crop, the variety and the management system. Coffee at 3.5 × 0.7 m gives about 4,000 plants/ha; eucalyptus at 3 × 3 m gives about 1,111 stems/ha; a vegetable bed at 0.3 × 0.3 m fits about 111,000 plants/ha.

This tool gives the theoretical count. In practice, headlands, paths and irregular field shapes reduce the usable area by 5-15%.

The formula

Plants = area / (row spacing × plant spacing). Density (plants/ha) = 10,000 / (row × plant).

Frequently asked questions

What spacing should I use for tomatoes?

Typically 1.0 m between rows and 0.5 m between plants, giving about 20,000 plants/ha.

Does this work for triangular spacing?

For equilateral triangle spacing, multiply the rectangular density by 1.155.

How do I account for paths?

Subtract the path area from the total before calculating, or add 10-15% to the plant count.

Related tools

Long links? Shorten them for free

Vai.la turns any URL into a short link with click statistics, QR Code and your own biolink.

Vai.la is not responsible for how the tools are used or for decisions made based on their results.