In Bed Spacing

Blocks of Short Rows

In your beds, plant your seeds or seedlings in blocks of short rows, and space your rows the same distance apart as you space your seeds or seedlings within rows.

Offset vs. Random Spacing

If you want to get precise, you can use offset spacing. Offset spacing simply means the seeds or seedlings of each successive row are planted in the middle of, or offset, those in the previous row. Using the optimal distance between each seed or seedling in each row (as specified on the seed packet or plant tag) and the same distance between rows gives each plant its ideal spacing in an entire circle. You can even space your rows slightly closer (see sidebar). If you don’t want to use offset spacing, however, that’s totally fine. As long as you space your plants and rows the ideal distance apart for each plant, any layout of your plants (random or offset) will give you a wonderful block of happy plants. 

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Sidebar: Offset Spacing

When seeds or seedlings are planted in offset rows, the rows can be closer and still give plants their ideal amount of space in all directions (r) once mature. In the diagram, the seedlings are planted their ideal distance apart (d), as listed on a seed packet or in planting instructions, both in their rows and in respect to adjacent rows. This is often done using a “planting stick” with several common planting distances marked on it. After having planted the first row of plants the correct distances apart, the spots for the plants in the second row are found by making gentle arcs with the planting stick approximately where the plant will be. Swung from the center of adjacent plants in the previous row, the point where the arcs of the planting sticks intersect is where the next plant is placed. One can also, if this simplifies things, simply move the next row over the distance typically required within a row and place each plant between those in the previous row. The planting stick method makes the rows slightly closer than if one were to just move the row over the distance of the in-row spacing, but, either way, the plants will be spaced perfectly to barely touch when full size (the dotted circles), shading the ground and creating a “living mulch.”

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Which We Use for Which Plants

In case it helps to know what’s worked for someone else, here are the practices we’ve settled on in our household as most effective based on a mix of time involved and observed benefits for the plants:

Offset

We’ve learned that offset spacing makes sense for larger plants (e.g. broccoli, peppers, tomatoes) that need a lot of space and can easily shade each other out, significantly reducing productivity, and those that need precise spacing (e.g. onions).

Random

We’ve settled on using random spacing in slightly-farther-spaced rows for the smallest plants (e.g. carrots and lettuce), however. Offset spacing for all of those tiny seeds just doesn’t pay back any dividends to make it worth it, especially considering some seeds won’t germinate, leaving holes in your expert, time-consuming plan.

It Depends

For those in-between (e.g. spinach), we use whichever combination is most effective based on the time we have and the import of the decision. Often, for crops like spinach, we’ll plant seeds at around half the required spacing (e.g. one seed about every three inches for spinach which is typically specified to be spaced six-inches apart) in a random pattern and let the germination rates determine whether the spacing is offset or not. Bunched-up greens seem to do well enough. For crops like corn, we try to offset them, but I’m not sure it matters (see more on corn spacing in the individual descriptions).

Planting in beds has numerous benefits, both for the gardeners and for the plants.