See exactly where each plant goes in the soil.

Printable bed layout

Sketch a full row before you head to the nursery. This grid is scaled to a standard 4-foot-wide bed. Each square is 1 inch at print size.

How to use this page

Planting depth is the single biggest factor in whether a seed germinates or a bulb rots. Too deep and the seedling never reaches light. Too shallow and the bulb dries out or heaves out of the ground in winter. Most packets give a number in inches but do not show what that looks like next to the plant. That is what this page does.

What the diagram shows

The horizontal brown line is soil surface. The brown area below is your garden soil. The green shape is the plant (bulb, seed, or root ball). The dashed line marks the correct depth. The space from one plant center to the next is the spacing. If you plant closer than shown, plants compete for water and light. If you plant farther apart, you waste bed space.

Hardiness zone adjustments

Move the zone slider to see how depth changes. In zones 3 to 5, plant bulbs 1 to 2 inches deeper for frost protection. In zones 8 to 10, plant a little shallower because the soil stays warmer and drains faster. Seeds barely change by zone, but starts and bare-root plants may need extra mulch in cold zones.

Common mistakes

• Tulip bulbs upside down. The pointed end goes up. If you cannot tell, plant the bulb on its side. It will correct itself.
• Tomato starts too shallow. Bury the stem up to the first set of true leaves. The buried stem grows extra roots.
• Carrots planted too deep. Carrot seeds need only 1/4 inch of soil. Press the soil flat and scatter seeds on top, then dust with a thin layer of compost.
• Daffodils too close together. Daffodils multiply over time. Give them 6 inches now or you will be dividing them in three years.
• Lilies buried like tulips. Lilies are not the same. Many lily bulbs have contractile roots that pull themselves deeper. Plant them 4 to 6 inches, not 8.

Companion spacing notes

Tomatoes and basil share a bed well. Give tomatoes 24 inches and tuck basil starts 8 inches away from each tomato stem. Lettuce fits between tomato plants if you harvest it before the tomatoes shade the row. Onions and carrots help each other because their smells confuse each other's pests. Plant onion sets 4 inches apart and sow carrots between them.

Soil type caveats

Heavy clay holds water and stays cold in spring. Seeds rot more easily in clay. Plant seeds a quarter inch shallower in clay and wait until the soil is workable, not sticky. Sandy soil drains fast and warms quickly. Seeds dry out, so plant a quarter inch deeper and water lightly every morning until sprouts appear.

When to plant

Bulbs: plant in fall, six weeks before your first hard freeze. Seeds: check the days-to-maturity on the packet and count backward from your last frost date. Starts: plant after the last frost when night temperatures stay above 50 degrees. Bare root: plant in early spring while still dormant, or in fall in mild climates.

Questions gardeners ask

Can I plant two layers of bulbs in the same hole?

Yes. This is called layering or lasagna planting. Put large bulbs like tulips deep, cover with 2 inches of soil, then plant small bulbs like crocus above them. The small ones bloom first.

What if my seed packet says 'surface sow'?

Those seeds need light to germinate. Press them into the soil but do not cover them. Keep the surface damp with a spray bottle until they sprout.

Do I water right after planting?

For bulbs, water once after planting to settle the soil, then wait for rain. For seeds, keep the top inch of soil moist but not soggy. For starts, water deeply at the base, not over the leaves.