Set up beds and units

Start by adding each bed as a named footprint with its own width and depth. Keep one unit system for the whole plan so coordinates and margins stay comparable. If you carry footprints from the soil, compost or topsoil calculator, the planner can begin with up to 12 empty beds and keeps the selected units and measurements. Empty footprints have no crop spacing assigned, so they are placeholders until you add blocks.

Bed width, access and the soil underneath affect a real design. Roots in an open-bottom bed may continue into the soil below, and frame height is not the same as total root depth. The planner records the footprint you enter; it does not judge those choices.

  1. Add and name each bed, then enter its width and depth in the chosen units.
  2. Confirm the unit setting before entering coordinates or margins.
  3. Review any carried footprints and measurements before placing blocks.

Source context: University of Maryland Extension

Place measured crop blocks

Each crop block is a named rectangle placed at a measured x/y position inside a bed. Enter the block size, the within-row spacing, the row spacing and the edge margin you want to use. The position count shown for a selected block is a geometric result of those entries. It is not a recommended planting density, and it does not account for variety, habit or support method.

Spacing figures from crop guides are inputs you choose, not defaults the planner assigns. For example, the tomato guide gives 18–36 inches within a row and 48–60 inches between rows, noting that habit and staking or caging affect spacing. The pepper guide gives a home-garden example of plants 18 inches apart and rows 30–36 inches apart, with Minnesota-specific growing conditions. Treat these as reference points and check local advice for your varieties.

  1. Name the block and enter its width and depth.
  2. Set the x/y position, within-row spacing, row spacing and edge margin.
  3. Edit coordinates or sizes when a block needs to move, then recheck the flags.

Source context: University of Maryland Extension · University of Minnesota Extension

Check geometry, print and keep a copy

The planner flags blocks that overlap another block and blocks that fall outside a bed boundary. Use those flags to correct positions before printing. The printable SVG layout shows the arrangement as entered, and the selected position counts help you confirm what the geometry produces.

Saving is local to this device through browser local storage. You can also export and import the plan as JSON and export a CSV. There are no accounts, no cloud saving, no drag-and-drop and no yield prediction. If you carry a grid from the spacing calculator, it keeps your selected spacing and should be reviewed before you rely on it.

  1. Resolve every overlap and out-of-bounds flag.
  2. Print the SVG layout and check it against the bed measurements.
  3. Save on this device, then export JSON and CSV copies for your records.

Source context: University of Maryland Extension

A worked planning example

Check your measured example

One 96 × 48 in bed divided into two non-overlapping 48 × 48 in blocks. Each uses a selected 12 in square spacing with 6 in margins. Counts show geometry only, not crop compatibility or recommended density.

QuantityCalculated result
beds1
blocks2
positions per block16
total positions32

The worked example is one 96 by 48 inch bed split into two non-overlapping 48 by 48 inch blocks, each using a selected 12 inch square spacing with 6 inch margins. The counts of 16 positions per block and 32 total describe that geometry only; they are not a crop recommendation, compatibility check or density claim.

Example inputs explain the method. Review the source context, chosen cultivar and actual site before planting or ordering.

Your before-you-plant checklist

  • Every bed is named and has the intended width and depth.
  • One unit system is used throughout the plan.
  • Each block has a reviewed position, size, spacing and margin.
  • No overlap or out-of-bounds flags remain.
  • The printed SVG and exported JSON or CSV match the saved plan.

Questions that come up while planning

Does the planner recommend spacing for my crops?

No. You enter within-row spacing, row spacing and margins. The planner calculates positions from your entries and flags geometry problems; it does not assign crop spacing or judge compatibility.

Can I save a plan to an account or the cloud?

No. Saving uses browser local storage on this device. JSON export and import and CSV export are available for keeping or moving a copy yourself.

What do the overlap and out-of-bounds flags mean?

They report geometry only: a block overlaps another block, or a block extends past its bed boundary. Correct the position or size, then check again.

Sources & method

Horticultural guidance is linked to its original source and regional context. Geometry and unit conversions are calculated separately. Read how we prepare and check a page.