About PlantGap
PlantGap helps turn a measured rectangular bed and an entered spacing requirement into actual bounded planting positions. It does not choose suitable plants or their spacing.
Method
Feet are converted to inches by multiplying by 12. Plant centres start at the entered minimum edge margin measured from the lower-left inside corner. Square grid uses the same horizontal and vertical spacing. Triangular rows use a vertical pitch of spacing × √3 ÷ 2, with alternating rows shifted by half the spacing. Custom rows use an explicit vertical gap at least as large as the horizontal spacing.
The tool counts generated positions within the actual bounds rather than dividing area by spacing area. Decimal inputs are kept as exact rational values for grid coordinates and boundary checks; triangular row heights retain a symbolic radical expression, with numerical values for marking out. A dimension exactly twice the margin can admit a centre on the coincident bounds. A smaller domain gives zero positions.
Scope
Patterns are fixed and anchored, not a global packing optimizer. Triangular rows can fit fewer points in a constrained bed: an 8 × 4 ft bed with 12 in spacing and 6 in margin fits 32 square-grid centres or 30 triangular centres.
Dots represent centres, not mature spread. Paths, obstacles, multiple plant sizes and succession timing are not modeled. Bed dimensions support positive decimal feet up to1,000 ft, with spacing/margin up to12,000 in and at most6 decimal places. Plans are limited to10,000 centres and row lines to keep every point and coordinate available.
Exports and sharing
PNG and PDF reflect the selected map appearance. The positions CSV retains every coordinate. JSON retains the complete coordinates and plan metadata; editable links retain all input dimensions and display options. All coordinates start at the lower-left inside corner. PDF is a sharp image of the current map and its text is not selectable. Titles are checked against the bundled heading font’s supported glyphs.
Guides and artwork
Your First Garden Bed: Quick Start Guide and the paid Small-Space Garden Planning Workbook are planned, with no finished files, email delivery, checkout or paid delivery supplied. Signup is disabled and does not submit data. Optional tips are not connected.
Standalone original photography, how-to art, logo and cover were unavailable. Sharp botanical workshop illustrations and soil texture were reconstructed from the approved design. The paperback is a real-text cover concept, not a completed guide.