Plants Per Hectare: Crop Spacing Tables

Plants per hectare is the number of plants that stand on one hectare when spacing is even across the ground. One hectare is 10,000 sq m, so a metric reader can work from spacing in metres straight to a plants per hectare figure. This blog gives that figure for all 14 vegetable crops in the preset set, with field scaling.

Why a metric table helps

A spacing chart tells you how far apart to put plants, but not how many a hectare will hold. A plants per hectare table closes that gap. Find your crop and read across to the density. Squash and courgettes sit at the low end, tomatoes in the middle, and carrots at the high end.

The method in full

The Crop Spacing Calculator gives plants per bed, rows, plants per row and a planting plan. It does not give a plants per hectare figure. The table here is arithmetic worked from the preset spacings, not a calculator output.

Use this method for any crop in the table. First, divide each spacing in centimetres by 100 to get metres. Second, multiply in row metres by between row metres to get the area for one plant in sq m. Third, divide 10,000 by that area. Fourth, round to the nearest whole plant, with a half rounding up. Work with the full figure, and round only at the end.

The presets are starting points, not universal constants. Spacing varies by variety, compact and dwarf types need less room, close spacing suits rich soil and good watering, and vining crops can be trained vertically. If you change a spacing, work the method again.

Worked example: tomatoes

Tomatoes in the preset set are 60 cm in row with 90 cm between rows. 60 cm is 0.60 m and 90 cm is 0.90 m, so 0.60 times 0.90 is 0.54 sq m per plant. 10,000 divided by 0.54 is 18,518.518, shown as 18,519 plants per hectare after rounding to the nearest whole plant.

The page FAQ gives a wider tomato range, about 45 to 60 cm in row with 75 to 90 cm between rows. The preset is 60 by 90 cm, at the wide end. If you plant closer, work the method again from the spacing you use.

Worked example: lettuce

Lettuce in the preset set is 25 cm in row with 30 cm between rows. 25 cm is 0.25 m and 30 cm is 0.30 m, so 0.25 times 0.30 is 0.075 sq m per plant. 10,000 divided by 0.075 is 133,333.333, shown as 133,333 plants per hectare after rounding to the nearest whole plant.

The lettuce figure is much larger, because one lettuce plant takes 0.075 sq m against 0.54 sq m for one tomato plant. The page FAQ notes lettuce can sit 20 to 30 cm apart for heads, with closer spacing for cut and come again leaves.

Plants per hectare table for all 14 presets

Crop	In row by between rows	Plants per hectare
Tomatoes	0.60 by 0.90 m	18,519
Peppers	0.45 by 0.60 m	37,037
Potatoes	0.30 by 0.75 m	44,444
Cabbage and broccoli	0.45 by 0.60 m	37,037
Kale	0.45 by 0.60 m	37,037
Lettuce	0.25 by 0.30 m	133,333
Spinach	0.10 by 0.30 m	333,333
Carrots	0.05 by 0.30 m	666,667
Beetroot	0.10 by 0.30 m	333,333
Onions	0.10 by 0.30 m	333,333
Garlic	0.15 by 0.30 m	222,222
Bush beans	0.10 by 0.45 m	222,222
Sweet corn	0.25 by 0.75 m	53,333
Squash and courgettes	0.90 by 1.20 m	9,259

How to read the table

Read the table from the spacing first. Find the crop, check that the spacings match the spacing you plan to use, then read across to plants per hectare. If your spacing differs, do not use the table figure. Work the method from your own spacing instead.

Three crops share one spacing, so they share one density. Peppers, cabbage and broccoli, and kale are all 0.45 by 0.60 m, so each gives 37,037 plants per hectare. Spinach, beetroot, and onions are all 0.10 by 0.30 m, so each gives 333,333. Garlic is 0.15 by 0.30 m and bush beans are 0.10 by 0.45 m, and each is 0.045 sq m per plant, so each gives 222,222.

At the low end, squash and courgettes give 9,259 at 0.90 by 1.20 m. At the high end, carrots give 666,667 at 0.05 by 0.30 m. Potatoes give 44,444 and sweet corn gives 53,333. Use the crop row, not a general figure.

Scale the table to your field

Total plants equals plants per hectare times area in hectares. Multiply, round to a whole plant if needed, and write the spacing beside the total.

Work the tomato figure for 2 hectares in full. 18,519 plants per hectare times 2 hectares is 37,038 plants at 0.60 by 0.90 m. The table below uses the same figure at four field sizes.

Area in hectares	Plants for tomatoes
0.5	9,260
1	18,519
2	37,038
5	92,595

For 0.5 hectares, 18,519 times 0.5 is 9,259.5, shown as 9,260 after rounding half up. For 5 hectares, 18,519 times 5 is 92,595 plants. Use the Garden Area Calculator to work out the area of a plot before you multiply.

Warning: do not convert this table to per acre

These densities are arithmetic from the preset spacings, not calculator outputs, and they belong to the metric preset column. The metric and imperial columns are rounded equivalents, not exact conversions. 24 in is 60.96 cm, not 60 cm. Do not convert this table to per acre by dividing by 2.47105, and do not present the result as equal to the imperial table.

The sweet corn cross check proves the point. Metric sweet corn is 53,333 plants per hectare. Divide 53,333 by 2.47105, and the result is 21,583 plants per acre. That does not match the imperial preset figure for sweet corn, which is 20,909 plants per acre. The gap is 674 plants per acre, and it comes from the rounded preset columns. The Plants per Acre Calculator works in acres, while this blog works in hectares, so keep the two systems apart.

What these densities are, and what they are not

These densities are area figures for planted ground at even spacing, with no allowance for paths, headlands or access lanes. The Crop Spacing Calculator counts plants in a bed with floor division and no edge margin rule, so a bed count and a hectare density are different kinds of figure. A bed count rounds down to whole rows and whole plants, while a hectare density divides 10,000 sq m by the area for one plant.

The calculator gives plants per bed, rows, plants per row and a planting plan only, from two spacings and a bed size. It gives no plants per acre or per hectare figure, no seed weight, no bag count, no plant cost, no seed cost, no yield figure, no fertiliser rate, and no replant decision. The table here fills the per hectare gap by arithmetic. For a small bed, the Plants per Square Foot Calculator works the same idea at a smaller scale. For row crops in a field, the Plant Population Calculator takes two spacings and gives population per acre and per hectare plus a total for the area.

Common mistakes to avoid

First, do not mix metres and centimetres in one sum. Change each spacing to metres first. Second, do not round early. Work with the full figure, and round only at the end. Third, do not use a table figure for a spacing you have not used. If you change a spacing, work the method again. Fourth, do not convert this metric table to per acre. The sweet corn cross check shows a gap of 674 plants per acre. Fifth, do not treat the preset as a universal constant. Spacing varies by variety, close spacing suits rich soil and good watering, and vining crops can be trained vertically.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How many plants per hectare for tomatoes at 0.60 by 0.90 m?

A: 18,519, because 0.60 times 0.90 is 0.54 sq m per plant, and 10,000 divided by 0.54 is 18,519 after rounding.

Q: How many plants per hectare for lettuce at 0.25 by 0.30 m?

A: 133,333, because 0.25 times 0.30 is 0.075 sq m per plant, and 10,000 divided by 0.075 is 133,333 after rounding.

Q: How do I work out plants per hectare from spacing in metres?

A: Multiply in row metres by between row metres, then divide 10,000 by that area, and round to the nearest whole plant.

Q: How many tomato plants do I need for 2 hectares?

A: 37,038, because 18,519 times 2 is 37,038.

Q: Why does metric sweet corn not convert to the imperial sweet corn figure?

A: Metric sweet corn is 53,333 plants per hectare, which converts to 21,583 plants per acre, while the imperial preset figure is 20,909. The gap comes from the rounded preset columns.

Q: Does the Crop Spacing Calculator give plants per hectare?

A: No. It gives plants per bed, rows, plants per row and a planting plan only. The table here is arithmetic from the preset spacings, not a calculator output.