Bulb Spacing Calculator
Enter your garden bed dimensions and the recommended spacing for your bulb type to calculate how many bulbs you’ll need.
What this calculator does
The Bulb Spacing Calculator estimates how many flower bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and similar) you’ll need to fill a garden bed at a given spacing, so you can buy the right quantity before planting season.
How the formula works
The calculator treats each bulb as occupying a square area equal to its recommended spacing (converted from inches to feet and squared), then divides the total bed area by that per-bulb area to get an estimated bulb count: bulbs = bed area ÷ (spacing in feet)².
- Smaller bulbs like crocuses are typically spaced 2-3 inches apart
- Larger bulbs like daffodils and tulips are typically spaced 4-6 inches apart
A note on accuracy
This grid-based estimate assumes fairly uniform spacing across a rectangular bed; irregularly shaped beds, borders, or naturalized/scattered planting styles may need more or fewer bulbs than this estimate suggests.