After choosing a garden site, the next step is to plan the arrangement of crops in the garden.
Proper spacing between rows is important to allow for growth of plants, ease of cultivation, and efficient use of space. Recommended spacings are given on the chart that follows.
If you have farm equipment and plenty of space, make your rows long and wide enough apart so that you can use your farm tractor and cultivator, thus avoiding much hand-weeding.
| Vegetable | Seed to sow per foot | Distance between plants when thinned or transplanted (inches) | Distance between rows (inches) | Planting depth (inches) |
| Asparagus | 12-18 | 36-60 | 6-8 | |
| Bean, bush, lima | 3-4 | Do not thin | 18-30 | 1-2 |
| Bean, bush, snap | 6 | Do not thin | 18-24 | 1-2 |
| Beet | 10 | 2-4 | 12-18 | ½-1 |
| Broccoli | 18-24 | 30-36 | ||
| Cabbage | 9-18 | 18-30 | ||
| Carrot | 15-20 | 1-3 | 12-18 | ½ |
| Cauliflower | 18-24 | 24-36 | ||
| Chard | 8-10 | 4-8 | 18-24 | ½-1 |
| Corn, sweet | 1-2 in row 4-6 per hill |
9-12, single plants 36, hills (3 plants per hill) | 24-48 | 1-2 |
| Cucumber | 3 in row 4-5 per hill |
12, single plants 36, hills (3 plants per hill) |
48-72 | 1 |
| Eggplant | 18-24 | 30-36 | ||
| Endive | 4-6 | 9-12 | 18-24 | ½ |
| Garlic, from cloves | 3 | 12-18 | 1½ | |
| Kale | 4-6 | 8-12 | 18-24 | ½ |
| Kohlrabi | 6-8 | 3-6 | 18-24 | ½ |
| Lettuce, leaf | 10 | 2-4 | 12-18 | ½ |
| Muskmelon | 3 in row 4-5 per hill |
12, single plants 36, hills (3 plants per hill) | 48-72 | 1 |
| Mustard | 20 | 1-2 | 12-18 | ½ |
| New Zealand spinach | 4-6 | 12 | 24-30 | 1 |
| Okra | 3 | 12-15 | 36 | 1 |
| Onion, from seed | 10-15 | 2-4 | 12-18 | ½-1 |
| Onion, from plants or sets | 1-4 | 12-18 | 1-4 | |
| Parsley | 10-15 | 4-6 | 12-18 | ½ |
| Peas | 10-12 | Do not thin | 18-24 | 2 |
| Pepper | 18-24 | 18-24 | ||
| Potato | 1 | 10-12 | 24-36 | 4 |
| Pumpkin | 1-2 in row 4-5 per hill |
24-36, single plants 72, hills (3 plants per hill) | 84-120 | 1 |
| Radish, spring | 10-15 | 1 | 12-18 | ½ |
| Radish, winter | 10-15 | 2-4 | 12-18 | ½ |
| Rhubarb | 24-36 | 36-48 | ||
| Rutabaga | 4-6 | 6-8 | 18-24 | ½ |
| Spinach | 12-15 | 2-4 | 12-18 | |
| Squash, summer | 2-3 in row 4-5 per hill |
18-24, single plants 48, hills (3 plants per hill) |
36-48 | 1 |
| Squash, winter | 1-2 in row 4-5 per hill |
24-36, single plants 72, hills (3 plants per hill) |
84-120 | 1 |
| Sweet potato | 12-18 | 36-48 | ||
| Tomato | 18-36 | 36-60 | ||
| Turnips | 6-8 15-20 (greens) |
2-4 | 12-18 | ½ |
| Watermelons | 1-2 in row 4-5 per hill | 24-36, single plants 72, hills (3 plants per hill) | 84-120 | 1 |
