The Reference Chart · 35+ Crops
How far apart to plantevery veggie you grow.
Quick Reference — Most Popular Crops
Plant-to-plant spacing for the 10 crops Australians grow most.
In-Row Spacing
Distance between plants side-by-side along the length of your bed.
Row Spacing
Distance between rows across the width of the bed. Determines how many rows fit.
SFG Spacing
Plants per 30cm × 30cm square. Square Foot Gardening method for intensive raised beds.
Raised bed advantage: Well-aerated, never-compacted raised bed soil lets you plant 10–20% closer than traditional row spacing, which was designed for compacted field soil.
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Unlock Free🥬Leafy Greens
Fast-growing, shallow-rooted crops ideal for succession planting. Most tolerate closer spacing in rich raised bed soil.
7 crops
Leafy Greens
Fast-growing, shallow-rooted crops ideal for succession planting. Most tolerate closer spacing in rich raised bed soil.
Fast-growing, shallow-rooted crops ideal for succession planting. Most tolerate closer spacing in rich raised bed soil.
🥬Lettuce (loose-leaf)
20
cm apart
25
cm rows
20
cm deep
4
per sq ft
Harvest outer leaves. Can grow 8–12cm apart for cut-and-come-again.
🥬Lettuce (head)
30
cm apart
30
cm rows
20
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Needs more room to form a head. Butterhead and iceberg types.
🥬Spinach
10
cm apart
20
cm rows
25
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Thin to 15cm for full plants, or sow densely for baby leaves.
🥬Silverbeet / Chard
25
cm apart
35
cm rows
25
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Long-producing plant. Harvest outer stalks to keep productive for months.
🥬Kale
45
cm apart
50
cm rows
30
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Grows large. Can be kept compact by harvesting lower leaves regularly.
🥬Asian Greens (Bok Choy)
15
cm apart
20
cm rows
20
cm deep
4–9
per sq ft
Fast to harvest. Sow every 3 weeks for continuous supply.
🥬Rocket (Arugula)
10
cm apart
15
cm rows
15
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Very quick. Harvest at 15–20cm. Bolts quickly in heat — grow in cool months.
🥕Root Vegetables
Crops that develop underground. Spacing is critical — overcrowded roots deform. Raised beds need adequate depth (30–40cm) for best results.
7 crops
Root Vegetables
Crops that develop underground. Spacing is critical — overcrowded roots deform. Raised beds need adequate depth (30–40cm) for best results.
Crops that develop underground. Spacing is critical — overcrowded roots deform. Raised beds need adequate depth (30–40cm) for best results.
🥕Carrot
8
cm apart
20
cm rows
35
cm deep
16
per sq ft
Thin ruthlessly to 8cm — overcrowded carrots deform. Needs deep, loose soil.
🫀Beetroot
10
cm apart
25
cm rows
30
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Each 'seed' is actually a cluster — thin to one plant per space after germination.
🔴Radish
5
cm apart
15
cm rows
20
cm deep
16
per sq ft
Fastest vegetable in the garden — ready in 25–30 days. Perfect gap-filler.
⚪Parsnip
10
cm apart
25
cm rows
40
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Needs deep bed (40cm+). Slow to germinate. Best in cool to temperate zones.
🟣Turnip
15
cm apart
25
cm rows
30
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Can harvest young greens as well as root. 60–90 days to maturity.
🥔Potato
30
cm apart
60
cm rows
45
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Needs 45cm+ depth in raised beds. Mound soil up around stems as they grow.
🍠Sweet Potato
30
cm apart
90
cm rows
35
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Sprawling vines. Best in tropical/subtropical zones. Large space commitment.
🍅Fruit Vegetables
The most popular garden crops — tomatoes, capsicum, zucchini. These need the most space but give the biggest yields.
9 crops
Fruit Vegetables
The most popular garden crops — tomatoes, capsicum, zucchini. These need the most space but give the biggest yields.
The most popular garden crops — tomatoes, capsicum, zucchini. These need the most space but give the biggest yields.
🍅Tomato (indeterminate)
60
cm apart
80
cm rows
45
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Vining type needs staking or caging. Prune suckers for best yields.
🍅Tomato (determinate/bush)
45
cm apart
60
cm rows
40
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Bush tomatoes don't need heavy pruning. Good for small raised beds.
🍒Cherry Tomato
45
cm apart
60
cm rows
40
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Prolific producers. Can be grown in large containers. Most disease-resistant.
🌶️Capsicum / Pepper
45
cm apart
60
cm rows
35
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Similar needs to tomato. Slow to mature — plant seedlings, not seeds.
🍆Eggplant (Aubergine)
50
cm apart
70
cm rows
35
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Loves heat. Best in subtropical/tropical zones. Needs full sun.
🥒Zucchini
90
cm apart
100
cm rows
35
cm deep
1
per sq ft
One plant produces prolifically. Harvest frequently to keep production going.
🥒Cucumber
30
cm apart
60
cm rows
30
cm deep
1–2
per sq ft
Train vertically on a trellis to save space. Cut spacing in half when trellised.
🎃Pumpkin / Squash
90
cm apart
150
cm rows
35
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Huge sprawling vines. Best as a single plant, or train over the bed edge.
🌽Sweet Corn
30
cm apart
40
cm rows
35
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Wind-pollinated — plant in blocks, not rows, for good pollination.
🌿Herbs
Herbs are the best space-efficiency plants in the raised bed — most are small, and they do double duty as companion plants.
6 crops
Herbs
Herbs are the best space-efficiency plants in the raised bed — most are small, and they do double duty as companion plants.
Herbs are the best space-efficiency plants in the raised bed — most are small, and they do double duty as companion plants.
🌿Basil
20
cm apart
25
cm rows
20
cm deep
4
per sq ft
Pinch flowers to extend harvest. Replace tomato-adjacent basil each season.
🌿Parsley
20
cm apart
25
cm rows
25
cm deep
4
per sq ft
Slow to germinate (3–4 weeks). Biennial — harvest in year one.
🌿Coriander
10
cm apart
15
cm rows
20
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Bolts quickly. Sow small amounts every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvest.
🌱Chives
15
cm apart
20
cm rows
20
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Perennial clump. Divide every 2–3 years. Edible flowers attract pollinators.
🌿Dill
20
cm apart
30
cm rows
25
cm deep
4
per sq ft
Tall and feathery. Let flower to attract beneficial insects. Keep from carrots.
🌿Rosemary
50
cm apart
60
cm rows
30
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Perennial shrub. Long-lived — plant at bed corner as permanent companion.
🫘Legumes
Nitrogen-fixing crops that improve soil health. Excellent predecessors for heavy-feeding crops like brassicas and corn.
5 crops
Legumes
Nitrogen-fixing crops that improve soil health. Excellent predecessors for heavy-feeding crops like brassicas and corn.
Nitrogen-fixing crops that improve soil health. Excellent predecessors for heavy-feeding crops like brassicas and corn.
🫘Beans (Climbing)
15
cm apart
30
cm rows
25
cm deep
8
per sq ft
Grow on a trellis or teepee of stakes. Keep picking to prolong production.
🫘Beans (Bush)
10
cm apart
30
cm rows
25
cm deep
9
per sq ft
No support needed. All beans ready at once — good for preserving.
🫛Peas (Climbing)
10
cm apart
30
cm rows
25
cm deep
8
per sq ft
Trellis essential. Sow in cool months. Pick regularly.
🫘Broad Beans
20
cm apart
30
cm rows
25
cm deep
4
per sq ft
Autumn/winter sowing only. Tall plants — stake in windy gardens.
🫛Snow Peas
8
cm apart
25
cm rows
25
cm deep
8
per sq ft
Harvest pods flat, before peas develop. Very productive in cool months.
🥦Brassicas
The winter workhorses of Australian raised beds. These large crops need space but produce through the coldest months.
5 crops
Brassicas
The winter workhorses of Australian raised beds. These large crops need space but produce through the coldest months.
The winter workhorses of Australian raised beds. These large crops need space but produce through the coldest months.
🥦Broccoli
45
cm apart
60
cm rows
30
cm deep
1
per sq ft
After main head, side shoots continue for weeks. Good value per plant.
🥦Cauliflower
50
cm apart
60
cm rows
30
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Needs consistent moisture. Tie leaves over developing curd to blanch.
🥬Cabbage
45
cm apart
60
cm rows
30
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Large — one per sq ft minimum. Choose compact varieties for small beds.
🥬Kale
40
cm apart
50
cm rows
30
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Listed under leafy greens too. Very productive over many months.
🟢Brussels Sprouts
60
cm apart
75
cm rows
35
cm deep
1
per sq ft
Largest brassica footprint. Long season (4–5 months). Worth it for flavour.
🧅Alliums
Onions, garlic, and leeks are essential in Australian raised beds — they grow vertically, fit between other crops, and provide companion planting benefits.
5 crops
Alliums
Onions, garlic, and leeks are essential in Australian raised beds — they grow vertically, fit between other crops, and provide companion planting benefits.
Onions, garlic, and leeks are essential in Australian raised beds — they grow vertically, fit between other crops, and provide companion planting benefits.
🧄Garlic
15
cm apart
20
cm rows
25
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Plant cloves in April–June. Harvest when tops die down, usually Dec–Jan.
🧅Onion
10
cm apart
25
cm rows
25
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Interplant with carrots for mutual pest deterrence.
🌱Spring Onion / Scallion
5
cm apart
15
cm rows
20
cm deep
16
per sq ft
Harvest whole or just the green tops. Excellent gap-filler in beds.
🥬Leek
15
cm apart
30
cm rows
30
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Slow growing but stands in ground a long time — harvest as needed over winter.
🧅Shallot
10
cm apart
20
cm rows
25
cm deep
9
per sq ft
Plant bulbs in autumn. One bulb multiplies into a cluster of 4–6 shallots.
From the makers
Let Plant Planner Do the Spacing Maths
Enter your bed dimensions and crops — Plant Planner calculates how many plants fit, generates a visual bed layout, and builds your planting calendar automatically.
Square Foot Gardening vs. Traditional Row Spacing
Traditional Row Spacing
Traditional spacing was developed for farm-scale growing with tractors and is designed for compacted, less fertile soil. Row spacings of 60–90cm made sense when you needed space to walk between rows and push a cultivator through.
In a 1.2m wide raised bed, following traditional row spacing means you can only fit one or two rows of large crops — significantly underusing your space.
Square Foot Gardening (Mel's Method)
Mel Bartholomew's Square Foot Gardening method, developed specifically for raised beds, divides the bed into 30cm × 30cm squares. Each square gets a set number of plants based on their size. This method maximises yield per square centimetre.
The key insight: in raised beds with rich, loose soil and no need to walk between rows, you can grow much more densely. The dense planting also shades the soil, reducing moisture loss and suppressing weeds.
Plants per 30cm × 30cm Square
1
plant per square
Tomato, Broccoli, Zucchini, Cauliflower
2
plants per square
Cucumber, Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Capsicum
4
plants per square
Lettuce (head), Basil, Silverbeet, Parsley
9
plants per square
Spinach, Spring Onion, Garlic, Beetroot
16
plants per square
Carrot, Radish, Onion, Spring Onion (dense)
Spacing Tips for Australian Raised Bed Gardeners
Summer vs. Winter Spacing
In summer, give plants more space to improve air circulation and reduce fungal disease risk in Australia's humid conditions. In winter, plant slightly closer — dense winter planting also keeps soil warmer.
Thin, Don't Transplant
Root vegetables like carrots, beetroot, and radish must be thinned in place — the tap root is disrupted by transplanting. Sow densely then thin to correct spacing at 3–5cm. Thinnings make great microgreens.
Vertical Growing Cuts Spacing in Half
Crops grown on trellises — cucumbers, beans, peas — can be planted at half the listed row spacing. Trellises are the single best space-saver for small raised beds.
Succession Sowing for Continuous Harvest
Rather than filling all space at once, plant a third of your lettuce or spinach now, a third in 3 weeks, and the last third in 6 weeks. Harvest continuously rather than all at once.
The complete vegetable plant spacing guide for Australian gardens
Proper plant spacing is the single biggest factor in raised bed yield. Too close and you fight disease and stunted growth; too far and you waste precious bed space. Here is how to get it right.
Why plant spacing matters more in raised beds
Raised beds give you deeper, richer soil than most backyards, which means you can plant closer than traditional row spacing. Raised-bed spacing typically sits 20–40% tighter than what seed packets recommend. The extra organic matter and consistent watering lets roots grow down rather than out — so plants share surface area without competing underground.
In-row vs row spacing vs Square Foot Gardening
There are three main spacing systems used in Australian gardens:
- Traditional row spacing: used in larger in-ground plots with tractor rows. Good for efficiency, wasteful in raised beds.
- Raised bed intensive spacing: plants grown in staggered grids at tighter spacing. Best for small beds.
- Square Foot Gardening (Mel Bartholomew's Method): 30cm × 30cm grid divided by plant size — 1, 4, 9, or 16 plants per square. Excellent for beginners.
Our spacing chart above shows all three so you can pick whichever suits your bed.
Plant spacing for common Australian vegetables
- Tomatoes: 45–60cm apart for determinate varieties, 60–75cm for indeterminate. Stake or cage — never sprawl in humid Australian summers.
- Lettuce: 20–25cm apart for full heads, 8–12cm for cut-and-come-again leaves.
- Carrots: thin to 5cm apart in rows 15cm apart. Thin early — overcrowding causes forked roots.
- Beans (bush): 15cm apart in rows 40cm apart. Climbing beans 20cm apart along a trellis.
- Broccoli & Cauliflower: 40–50cm apart. They need room — too close and heads stay tiny.
- Zucchini: 60–90cm apart. One plant per 1m² — they sprawl aggressively.
- Garlic: 10–15cm apart in rows 20cm apart. Plant April–June for December harvest.
- Capsicum & Chilli: 40–50cm apart. Stake in windy sites.
How deep to plant seeds
The rule of thumb: plant seeds 2–3× their diameter deep. Tiny seeds (lettuce, carrot, basil) barely need covering — press into soil surface. Medium seeds (beans, peas) 1–2cm. Large seeds (corn, pumpkin, broad beans) 3–5cm. In Australian summer heat, err on the deeper side to keep seeds cool and moist.
Companion planting and spacing
Interplanting with companions effectively tightens your spacing. For example, plant lettuce between tomato plants — the lettuce finishes before the tomatoes shade it out. Herbs like basil and parsley tuck into gaps between main crops. See our companion planting guide for safe pairings.
Adjusting spacing for Australian climate zones
- Tropical/Subtropical (Brisbane, Darwin): space slightly wider to improve airflow and reduce fungal disease in humid conditions.
- Temperate (Sydney, Melbourne): use the standard raised-bed spacings from our chart.
- Cool/Alpine (Hobart, Canberra): you can plant slightly tighter in summer — dense planting shades soil and retains heat.
- Arid (Alice Springs): plant tighter to create a mutual shade canopy that reduces evaporation.
Calculate plant counts for your bed
Use our raised bed calculator to work out exactly how many plants fit in your bed at correct spacing. Or just sign up — Plant Planner does this automatically once you enter your bed dimensions.
Let Plant Planner Do the Spacing Maths
Enter your bed dimensions and the crops you want to grow — Plant Planner automatically calculates how many plants fit, generates a visual bed layout, and builds a 12-month planting calendar with climate-specific dates for your Australian postcode.
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