How this calculator works
Each stand occupies within-row spacing times effective row pitch. Plants per stand converts stand density to plant density. This is an area-average estimate; headlands, irregular boundaries and exact end positions are excluded. A walkway is added to each row pitch, not deducted once from the field. Establishment accounts for germination and early losses when estimating seed purchase.
Formula
Population ≈ area × plants per stand/[stand spacing × (row spacing + repeating walkway)]. Seed count = ceiling(population/establishment fraction). Seed mass = seed count/(seeds/kg).
Worked example
A 100 m2 field with 0.5 m stand spacing and 1 m row spacing has 200 stands. Retaining two plants per stand gives 400 plants. At full establishment and 1000 seeds/kg, buy 0.4 kg.
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Frequently asked questions
Why does this differ from an exact garden grid?
The field estimate assigns an area to each stand. A finite garden layout can add or lose plants at boundaries.
Does establishment reduce the desired population?
No. It increases the seed count needed to reach the desired final population.
What if there is only one central walkway?
Subtract its actual area from the field and enter zero repeating walkway width. Do not add its full width to every row.