Plant Calculator

three rows of young plants planted in soil

Plant Calculator: Find Out How Many Plants You Need

Planning a new garden bed or filling an open space in your landscape? Our plant calculator makes it easy to estimate how many plants you’ll need before you start planting.

Enter the approximate length and width of your planting area, then add the recommended distance between plant centers. The calculator will estimate the number of plants that can fit comfortably in the space.

Know How Much Mulch You need?

Use our handy mulch calculator to figure it out!

Mulch Calculator

How to Use the Plant Calculator

For the most useful estimate, measure your planting area in feet and check the recommended mature spacing for the specific plant variety you want to grow.

Enter:

  • The approximate length of your planting area in feet
  • The approximate width in feet
  • The average distance between plant centers in inches

Then select Calculate to see approximately how many plants you’ll need.

Why Plant Spacing Matters

Proper spacing gives plants room to reach their mature size and helps promote good airflow. It also reduces unnecessary competition between neighboring plants for light, water, and nutrients.
 

Always use the spacing recommendation for the variety you’re planting. A compact perennial, for example, may need much less room than a mature shrub. Once you know your spacing needs, you can browse our perennial plants to find options suited to your garden.

A Garden Calculator for Beds, Borders, and Annuals

This garden calculator can help you plan perennial beds, shrub groupings, annual displays, and other landscape areas. When you’re planning seasonal color, it can also work as an annual flower calculator or general flower calculator once you know the recommended spacing for your chosen varieties.
 

Keep in mind that the result is an estimate. Curved or irregular beds, pathways, existing plants, and landscape features may change the final quantity you need.
 

After using the plant calculator, you can also find your hardiness zone to help choose plants suited to your climate. And once your planting plan is set, use our mulch calculator to estimate how much mulch your garden bed may need. The live page already features the mulch calculator as a related tool, making it a particularly natural internal link.