🌱 Companion Planting Square Foot Garden Planner
Calculate plant quantities, spacing & companion pairings for your SFG bed
| Crop | Plants/sq ft | Spacing (in) | Depth (in) | Good Companions | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🍅 Tomato | 1 | 12 | 18-24 | Basil, Carrot, Marigold, Parsley | Fennel, Brassica, Corn |
| 🌶 Pepper | 1 | 12 | 12-18 | Basil, Carrot, Onion, Marigold | Fennel, Apricot |
| 🥬 Lettuce | 4 | 6 | 6-8 | Radish, Carrot, Chive, Strawberry | Parsley |
| 🍃 Spinach | 9 | 4 | 6-8 | Strawberry, Radish, Onion | Fennel |
| 🥕 Carrot | 16 | 3 | 12-18 | Onion, Sage, Rosemary, Tomato | Dill, Parsnip |
| 🔴 Radish | 16 | 3 | 6-8 | Carrot, Lettuce, Cucumber | Hyssop |
| 🧅 Onion | 9 | 4 | 8-12 | Carrot, Tomato, Lettuce, Beetroot | Bean, Pea, Sage |
| 🌿 Basil | 4 | 6 | 8-12 | Tomato, Pepper, Marigold | Sage, Thyme |
| 🥒 Cucumber | 2 | 6 | 12 | Bean, Radish, Marigold, Dill | Potato, Aromatic Herbs |
| 🫘 Bean (bush) | 9 | 4 | 8-12 | Carrot, Cucumber, Marigold | Onion, Fennel, Pepper |
| 🍋 Squash | 1 | 12 | 18-24 | Corn, Bean, Nasturtium, Marigold | Potato, Fennel |
| 🌾 Corn | 1 | 12 | 12 | Bean, Squash, Cucumber | Tomato |
| 🌼 Marigold | 4 | 6 | 6-8 | Tomato, Pepper, Squash, Bean | None significant |
| 🌿 Parsley | 4 | 6 | 8-12 | Tomato, Asparagus, Carrot | Lettuce, Onion |
| 🌱 Dill | 4 | 6 | 8 | Cucumber, Onion, Lettuce | Carrot, Tomato |
| 🌸 Nasturtium | 4 | 6 | 6-8 | Cucumber, Squash, Tomato, Bean | None significant |
| Bed Size (ft) | Total Sq Ft | Total m² | 1-ft Squares | Max Plant Slots (4/sqft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 x 2 | 4 | 0.37 | 4 | 16 |
| 2 x 4 | 8 | 0.74 | 8 | 32 |
| 3 x 6 | 18 | 1.67 | 18 | 72 |
| 4 x 4 | 16 | 1.49 | 16 | 64 |
| 4 x 8 | 32 | 2.97 | 32 | 128 |
| 4 x 12 | 48 | 4.46 | 48 | 192 |
| 6 x 12 | 72 | 6.69 | 72 | 288 |
| 8 x 16 | 128 | 11.89 | 128 | 512 |
| Plant A | Plant B | Relationship | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Basil | ✅ Beneficial | Basil repels aphids & whiteflies |
| Carrot | Onion | ✅ Beneficial | Onion scent deters carrot fly |
| Cucumber | Marigold | ✅ Beneficial | Marigold deters cucumber beetles |
| Corn | Bean | ✅ Beneficial | Bean fixes nitrogen for corn |
| Tomato | Fennel | ❌ Harmful | Fennel inhibits tomato growth |
| Bean | Onion | ❌ Harmful | Onion stunts bean growth |
| Carrot | Dill | ❌ Harmful | Dill crosspollinates & weakens carrot |
| Squash | Potato | ❌ Harmful | Compete for space & share blight |
| Bed (ft) | 6 in Deep (cu ft) | 12 in Deep (cu ft) | 18 in Deep (cu ft) | Cubic Yards at 12 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 4 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 0.59 |
| 4 x 8 | 16 | 32 | 48 | 1.19 |
| 4 x 12 | 24 | 48 | 72 | 1.78 |
| 6 x 12 | 36 | 72 | 108 | 2.67 |
| 8 x 16 | 64 | 128 | 192 | 4.74 |
Square foot garden planner is a handy tool for counting what plants go and where in a garden bed. Square Foot Gardening, usually called SFG, is a planting method that American writer and TV host Mel Bartholomew created during the 1970s. That system allows you to easily make gardens with raised beds that does not require much work. The book Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew stays the main source about SFG and the basic guide for fans of that method.
Currently it appeared in its third printing.
Planning a Square Foot Garden
Basically one splits the bed into squares of one foot. For instance, a plan of four by seven works for beginners that want an efficient and space-saving garden with a raised bed. Thanks to that, that one will split the bed into separate squares, it is possible to grow a mix of vegetables, herbs and flowers without big hassle.
There are free online planners that offer designs for a high-yield veggie garden using Square foot garden rules, rather than old dense rows.
Various tools are useful for the planning. The SFG Planner was built specially for Square foot garden planning and lets gardeners design in the grid quickly and simply. Vegplotter delivers plans for Square foot garden crops, that helps to arrange the garden and create an efficient area.
The online calendar of the Old Farmer stores an online garden planner with a 30-day free trial that covers the SFG style, but does not allow you too share squares. Plangarden also offers a Square foot garden option with a 45-day free test. There are also apps like Seed to Harvest that track pests, Companion planting, square spaces, sun, water and soil needs.
Well spacing plants matters. Cucumbers grow best one each square instead of two. Melons need four squares.
Tomatoes, especially the spreading types, also benefit from four squares each one. Corn needs two thirds of a square and works well in blocks. Round onions fit four each square, while green onions go up to sixteen.
Strawberries favor one each square.
Vining plants like zucchini, watermelon, cucumbers and winter tomatoes can take over the whole garden. The fix for that problem is simple: go upward. Also sun matters.
Zucchini and tomatoes like much sun, while other plants do fine with less. Tall plants can cast shade, and leaves of zucchini reach around twelve inches, so that one must think.
Knowing cool weather dates matters for planning. The last frost helps with spring crops, and the first frost matters for fall gardens. Free printable Square foot garden planners are useful for outlining the base onpaper before starting for real.
