Garden Planner

Using the Epic Agriculture Free Garden Planner

Whether you're mapping out your first raised bed or fine-tuning a full backyard grow, having a plan before you plant makes all the difference. Our free garden planner app lets you design your garden layout, check plant compatibility, estimate your harvest, and print a plan to take outside, all in one place, with no sign-up required.

Step 1: Set Your Growing Zone

Enter your ZIP code and our garden planner app automatically detects your USDA hardiness zone, a climate system that determines which plants will thrive, survive as annuals, or struggle in your area. Every plant in the library gets a badge once your zone is set:

• ✓ Green: grows well as a perennial in your zone
• A Amber: can be grown as a warm-season annual
• ✗ Red: unlikely to thrive or produce before your first frost

Not sure what zone you're in? No problem - just enter your ZIP code and the app handles it automatically. Knowing your zone before you start planning ensures every plant you place has a real chance of thriving in your garden.

Step 2: Set Your Garden Size

Our garden layout planner uses a grid where each cell equals exactly one square foot, the foundation of square-foot gardening. Use the column and row sliders to match your actual bed dimensions, whether it's a 4×4 raised bed or a sprawling 14×10 in-ground plot.

Our app tracks total square footage, planted space, and empty cells in real time. Name your plot using the editable title field to keep multiple plans organized.

Step 3: Choose and Place Your Plants

Browsing the Plant Library

Our free garden planner program includes 65+ plants across four categories - Vegetables, Fruits, Herbs, and Flowers. Filter by category using the tabs, or browse all plants at once. Zone badges appear on every tile so you know what's suitable before placing anything.

Understanding Plant Footprints

One of the most common beginner mistakes is planting too close together. Our app automatically enforces real-world spacing requirements. When you place a plant, surrounding cells are reserved based on how much space that plant actually needs:

• Radish: 2" spacing, single cell
• Tomato: 24" spacing, reserves a multi-cell zone
• Blueberry: 60" spacing, reserves a large radius
• Cherry tree: 120" spacing, reserves a 10-foot zone

Reserved cells appear as a hatched pattern so you can clearly see what space is taken. Click to place, click and drag to fill multiple cells, or switch to Erase mode to remove a plant and its entire spacing reservation together.

Step 4: Read the Companion Planting Analysis

Companion planting is the practice of growing certain plants near each other because they benefit one another, or keeping them apart because they cause harm. The Companion Analysis tab shows every relevant pairing in your layout:

• Good pairings (green): basil near tomatoes repels aphids; marigolds near almost anything deter nematodes and whiteflies; beans near corn fix nitrogen that corn consumes heavily
• Conflicts (red): fennel inhibits tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and beans through root chemicals; onions and garlic suppress peas; potatoes and tomatoes share pests and disease
• Spacing warnings (📏): flags any two plants placed closer together than their spacing requirements allow, with the actual distance vs. what's needed

The conflict counter in the stats bar always matches the companion analysis panel so the numbers are consistent throughout the app.

Step 5: Review Your Stats and Yield Estimates

The stats bar gives you a live summary of your layout at a glance, plants placed, varieties, empty cells, plot fill percentage, and conflict count. The Yield Estimate tab breaks down your expected seasonal harvest by plant type, calculated by multiplying each plant's average yield by the number placed.

These are real-world averages and will vary based on your soil, sun, and care, use them as a planning benchmark rather than a guarantee.

Step 6: Check the Planting Calendar

The Planting Calendar adjusts to your zone once you've entered your ZIP code, showing a month-by-month schedule for every plant in your layout. Blue cells indicate when to start seeds indoors, green cells show transplant or direct sow windows, and amber cells mark your harvest window.

Use it to sequence your plantings across the season and avoid putting warm-season crops outside before your last frost date.

Step 7: Download Your Garden Plan

When your layout is complete, click Download PDF in the green bar at the top of the online garden planner. Your PDF includes the full grid, stats, spacing details, yield estimates, planting calendar, and companion analysis, everything you need to take your plan from screen to soil. Print it, save it to your phone, or pin it to your potting shed wall.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Your Garden Planner Free to Use?

Yes - completely free, no account required. Open the app, start planning, and download your PDF whenever you're ready.

Can I Plan Multiple Garden Beds?

Yes. Name each layout using the plot title field, download the PDF, clear the grid, and start your next bed. Stack your PDFs for a complete picture of your whole garden.

What Do the Hatched Cells Mean?

They're spacing reservations, cells a plant needs to grow properly without crowding its neighbors. Remove the plant to free those cells up for something else.

Can I Save My Garden Layout?

Not currently - our app doesn't save between sessions right now. Download your PDF before closing the browser to keep a permanent record of your plan.

What Growing Zones Does the Planner Support?

USDA zones 3–11, covering the full range of climates across the continental United States and Hawaii. Enter your ZIP code and the garden planner app detects your zone automatically.