Crop Planning Basics: Mapping, Spacing, and Planting for Beginners
Oh my! If you’re just starting out with crop planning, you’re in the right place. Crop planning is one of those tasks that feels overwhelming at first but becomes an absolute game-changer as you get the hang of it. With a solid plan, you can maximize your growing space, meet your goals, and avoid unnecessary stress during the season.
In this guide, we’ll cover the foundational steps to mapping your growing space, calculating plant spacing, estimating quantities to grow, and setting target dates—all in an approachable way that gets you off to a strong start.
Organized rows of trellised dahlias in full bloom—an example of the beauty that comes with thoughtful crop planning.
Step 1: Mapping Your Growing Space
Before you can plan what to plant, you need to know where everything will go. Start by creating a detailed map of your growing space. Whether you’re working with a few raised beds or a full field, an accurate map will save you from headaches later.
How to Map Your Space:
Measure Your Beds: Write down the length and width of each growing area.
Include Paths and Features: Account for paths, irrigation lines, and areas that aren’t plantable (e.g., shade zones or structures).
Sketch It Out: Use graph paper, a digital tool, or even a simple notebook. Label each bed with its dimensions and any unique conditions, like partial shade or poor drainage.
Pro Tip: If you’re planning to grow crops with different needs (like sun-loving zinnias vs. shade-tolerant greens), mark those zones clearly to make planning easier.
Want to See This in Action?
Watch our video below for a step-by-step guide to row layouts. You’ll learn how to map your space and maximize your growing potential!
Step 2: Calculating Bed Spacing
Why Bed Spacing Matters
Plant spacing directly impacts your yield and the health of your crops. Overcrowded plants will compete for light, water, and nutrients, leading to lower-quality blooms or stunted growth. On the other hand, spacing that’s too wide leaves potential yields on the table and wastes valuable growing space. The goal is to strike a balance that suits each crop's growth habits.
How to Calculate Plant Density
To figure out how many plants will fit in a bed, use this formula:
Number of Plants per Bed = (Bed Length x Bed Width) / (Plant Spacing Length x Plant Spacing Width)Steps to Calculate:
Measure your bed dimensions (length and width).
Find the recommended plant spacing for your crop (usually listed as row spacing and in-row spacing on seed packets or catalogs).
Multiply the bed dimensions and divide by the total area required per plant.
Example:
For a 20 ft x 4 ft bed with 9-inch (0.75 ft) spacing:
Number of Plants per Bed = (20 x 4) / (0.75 x 0.75) Number of Plants per Bed = 80 / 0.5625 ≈ 142 plants
This means you can fit approximately 142 plants in the bed with this spacing.
Adjustments to Consider:
Wide Beds: For beds wider than 4 feet, you can stagger plants in a zigzag or triangular pattern to maximize space while maintaining proper airflow and light access.
Crop-Specific Needs:
Large-Foliage Crops: Dahlias, sunflowers, and zinnias need more space to allow for airflow and prevent fungal diseases.
Upright Growers: Snapdragons or lisianthus can handle tighter spacing because they grow more vertically.
Intensive Planting: For small or fast-growing crops (e.g., bachelor buttons or single stem sunflowers), closer spacing may be suitable if you plan for shorter growing cycles and frequent harvesting.
Want to Learn More About Intensive Planting?
Check out our Maximizing Production Blog for practical tips on making the most of your growing space.
Practical Tips for Planning Spacing:
Use Markers or String Lines: Mark plant spots before sowing or transplanting to ensure consistent spacing.
Double-Check Measurements: Minor mistakes in spacing can lead to overcrowding or wasted space, especially in smaller beds.
Account for Pathways: Don’t forget to leave space for walking paths between rows or beds, particularly for large crops that might sprawl.
Adapt to Growing Conditions: Tighten or loosen spacing depending on your local climate (e.g., arid climates may allow closer spacing, while humid regions may require more room for airflow).
Looking for Tips on Row Layouts?
Check out our Row Layout Blog for practical advice on designing efficient and productive growing spaces.
ProCut White Nite sunflowers are single-stem crops, producing one bloom per plant. They benefit from weekly sowings to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season.
Step 3: Estimating Quantities to Grow
Now that you know how many plants fit in each bed, the next step is figuring out how much to grow based on your goals. Whether you're growing for market bouquets, weddings, or just personal enjoyment, starting with the end in mind will help you plan efficiently and avoid over- or under-planting.
Step 1: Define Your Goals
Start by clarifying what you’re growing for:
Market Bouquets: How many bouquets do you want to sell weekly? How many stems per bouquet?
Events: For weddings or special occasions, how many total stems will you need, and which flowers?
Personal Enjoyment: How often do you want fresh flowers, and how many stems do you typically use?
Still Deciding What to Grow?
Check out our Flower Farming Basics: Deciding Your Products Before Crop Planning blog for tips on selecting the right crops to fit your farm’s needs before you dive into planning.
Step 2: Understand Stem Yield Per Plant
Different crops produce varying amounts of stems throughout their lifecycle. Knowing these averages helps you estimate how many plants you need to meet your goals.
General Stem Yield Categories:
Single Cuts:
Yield: 1 stem per plant.
Examples: Single-stem sunflowers, stock, some specialty tulips.
Notes: These are grown for one-time harvests, making them ideal for high-value events or timed markets.
Medium Producers:
Yield: 1-2 stems per week per plant.
Examples: rudbeckia hirta, snapdragons, bells of Ireland.
Notes: Medium producers regenerate stems more slowly but give multiple flushes. Later flushes for crops like snapdragons may produce shorter stems.
Prolific Producers:
Yield: 3-5 stems per week per plant.
Examples: Zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, branching sunflowers.
Notes: Prolific crops thrive with regular harvesting. Branching sunflowers can yield 4-6 stems per plant over their harvest window.
Step 3: Calculate Total Stems Needed
Once you’ve defined your goals, estimate the total number of stems required.
Formula for Total Stems Needed:
Total Stems Needed = Weekly Stems Needed x Weeks of Harvest
Example (Market Grower):
If you plan to sell 10 bouquets per week for 10 weeks, with 10 stems per bouquet:
Total Stems Needed = 10 bouquets x 10 stems x 10 weeks Total Stems Needed = 1,000 stems
Example (Event Grower):
For a wedding requiring 250 stems total:
Total Stems Needed = 250 stems
Step 4: Estimate Plants Needed
Now calculate how many plants you’ll need based on their stem yield.
Formula for Total Plants Needed:
Total Plants Needed = Total Stems Needed / Stems per Plant
Example (Prolific Producer):
If you need 1,000 stems and each zinnia plant produces 5 stems per week:
Total Plants Needed = 1,000 / 5 Total Plants Needed = 200 plants
Example (Single Cut):
If you need 250 stems of single-stem sunflowers:
Total Plants Needed = 250 / 1 Total Plants Needed = 250 plants
Step 5: Account for Losses
Plan for losses due to germination issues, pests, or weather by adding a buffer. A common practice is to grow 10-20% more plants than calculated.
Adjusting for Losses:
Adjusted Total Plants = Total Plants Needed x (1 + Loss Percentage)
Example:
If you need 100 plants and plan for a 15% loss:
Adjusted Total Plants = 100 x 1.15 Adjusted Total Plants = 115 plants
Step 6: Consider Succession Planting
For crops with shorter growing cycles, stagger plantings to maintain a steady harvest. This method, called succession planting, involves sowing the same crop multiple times at regular intervals to extend your harvest window.
What Is Succession Planting?
Instead of planting all your sunflowers or zinnias at once, sow seeds every two to four weeks to ensure continuous blooms throughout the season. This is especially useful for market growers or anyone aiming for consistent production.
Want to Learn More About Succession Planting?
Check out our Simplified Succession Planting Guide for step-by-step tips on how to stagger your plantings and keep your blooms coming all season long.
Step 7: Allocate Space in Your Beds
Now that you know how many plants you need, calculate how many beds or rows are required for each crop. Combine this with your succession planting plan to efficiently use your growing space.
Practical Tip: If you’re new to flower farming, start small. It’s better to grow fewer crops well than to overwhelm yourself with too many.
Brisbane tulips grown hydroponically with bulbs attached. Hydroponic growing allows you to program tulip harvests to align with precise target dates, making them ideal for custom events or timed markets.
Step 4: Calculating Target Dates
Planning your target dates is the backbone of a well-executed crop plan. These dates ensure your crops are ready exactly when you need them, whether it’s for a key market date, a wedding, or a personal milestone.
Note: While calculating target dates is an essential part of crop planning, it becomes especially important when you’re custom growing for specific events, like weddings or timed markets. These techniques help ensure your flowers bloom at just the right moment, making it a more advanced skill to master. Even with the most impeccable planning, the key to hitting a target date successfully is to have multiple successions that could overlap meaning while one succession of a crop could be finishing up, the next round should be producing.
What Are Target Dates?
Target dates are the milestones in your crop plan that tell you when to:
Sow seeds (indoors or direct sow outdoors).
Transplant seedlings into the field.
Harvest blooms at their peak.
Why Are Target Dates Important?
Working backward from your desired harvest date allows you to plan each step of the growing process:
Custom Growing for Events: Ensure blooms are ready for specific dates, such as weddings or holidays.
Prevent Late Plantings: Avoid missing important events or markets.
Optimize Successions: Ensure your successions align with market demand.
Increase Efficiency: Minimize guesswork and streamline your schedule.
How to Calculate Target Dates
Follow these steps to determine when to sow and transplant your crops:
Identify the Desired Harvest Date:
Example: July 1 for a Fourth of July wedding.
Find the Days to Maturity (DTM):
Check seed packets or catalogs for the crop’s DTM.
Example: Bachelor buttons with 60 days to maturity.
Account for Transplant Adjustment (if applicable):
Add time for seedlings to recover and establish after transplanting.
Example: A 10-day adjustment for bachelor buttons.
Work Backward from the Harvest Date:
Subtract the DTM and transplant adjustment from the desired harvest date.
Formula for Planting Date:
Planting Date = Harvest Date - (Days to Maturity + Transplant Adjustment)
Example:
For bachelor buttons:
Harvest Date: July 1 Days to Maturity: 60 Transplant Adjustment: 10 Planting Date: July 1 - 70 days = April 22
Direct Sowing vs. Transplants
Direct Sowing: Use the same calculation but omit the transplant adjustment.
Example (Direct Sow):
If zinnias (DTM 75 days) are needed by August 1:Planting Date = August 1 - 75 days = May 18
Tips for Managing Target Dates
Use a Calendar: Mark key dates for sowing, transplanting, and harvesting.
Color-Code Successions: Different colors for each round of plantings help keep things organized.
Track Environmental Factors: Adjust dates based on your local climate (e.g., frost dates, heat waves).
Build in Buffers: Add extra time for slow germination or unexpected delays. Some seed suppliers state their DTM based off seed sow date while others base it off germination date.
Pro Tip: Advanced Applications
Calculating precise target dates is particularly useful for growers providing flowers for custom events like weddings or corporate installations. It ensures you can deliver perfect blooms on time, making your farm stand out for its reliability and professionalism.
Want to Go Deeper?
For more advanced strategies, including season-specific adjustments and contingency planning for custom growing, check out our Advanced Crop Planning Techniques blog.
Harvesting colorful yarrow—a perfect example of how thoughtful crop planning leads to successful and abundant blooms.
Yay! You’ve just tackled the basics of crop planning, from mapping your growing space to setting actionable target dates. Crop planning is a skill that improves with practice, so take it one step at a time. Don’t worry if it feels overwhelming at first—you’ll see the benefits come harvest time as your flowers thrive and your plans fall into place.
Ready for More?
Take your planning to the next level with these resources:
Advanced Crop Planning Techniques: Explore succession planting, crop rotations, and advanced tracking systems.
Tools and Templates for Crop Planning: Get a step-by-step guide to creating your own crop plan and discover how to use our template.
Simplified Succession Planting: Perfect for beginners looking to stagger plantings and extend harvest windows.
Crop Planning and Rotation: Learn how to optimize your crop plan with rotation techniques that improve soil health and reduce pest pressure.
With these resources, you’ll be well on your way to mastering crop planning and maximizing your harvests. Happy planning!
We are looking forward to sharing more blooms with you soon.
Jessica & Graham
