Plan Smarter, Grow Bigger
Visualize your indoor garden layout and optimize every inch of space before planting.
Planning an indoor hydroponic garden?
The GrowSpace Planner calculator is a free grow space tool that helps you decide how many plants fit, how much light you need, the right nutrient solution, and your expected yield. Whether you’re growing leafy greens on a tabletop or tomatoes in a grow tent, this tool removes the guesswork and gives you a clear, science-backed plan.
How the GrowSpace Planner Calculator Works
Simply enter your grow bed dimensions, choose your crops, and let the calculator determine plant spacing, nutrient ranges, lighting hours, and harvest cycles. The GrowSpace Planner calculator for indoor hydroponic farming is tuned for small spaces, balconies, and apartment setups, making it beginner-friendly yet detailed enough for advanced growers.
What the Calculator Tells You
- Plant Spacing: Find out how many plants fit per row or per square meter.
- pH & EC Ranges: Get optimal nutrient solution levels for healthy growth.
- Light Hours Needed: Understand how many hours of light each crop requires.
- Estimated Harvest Time: Know when to expect your first yield.
- Yield Projection: Approximate harvest weight per cycle.
Why Use the GrowSpace Planner Calculator?
Because it ensures your plants have the right space, light, and food, leading to increased yields, saved energy, and reduced wasted nutrients. Many growers overcrowd their systems or use the wrong nutrient balance, leading to poor harvests. The GrowSpace Planner calculator for indoor hydroponic farming ensures your plants have the right space, light, and food. By optimizing your setup, you’ll increase yields, save energy, and reduce wasted nutrients.
Expert Tips
Always measure your grow area before planting—accuracy matters. Group crops with similar light and nutrient needs for best results. Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach can be harvested sooner, while fruiting crops like tomatoes and cucumbers take longer but give higher yields.
For a comprehensive planning experience, use the calculator in conjunction with our GrowSpace Simulator. This visual setup plan will guide you every step of the way, ensuring you’re on the right track.
GrowSpace Planner
Planner assumptions
- Plant spacing (typical): lettuce/spinach 20×20 cm (~25 plants/m²), basil 25×25 cm (~16/m²), strawberry 30×30 cm (~11/m²), cherry tomato 45×45 cm (~5/m²)…
- Reservoir: leafy ~2 L/plant; fruiting ~4 L/plant (apartment hobby level).
- PPFD targets (center‑of‑canopy): seedling 150, leafy 250–350, fruiting 400–600 µmol/m²/s…
- DLI = PPFD × hours × 3600 / 1e6 (mol/m²/day). LED power = PPF / efficacy (PPF = PPFD × area)…
Light model notes
- PPFD targets default: seedling 150, leafy 300, fruit 500 µmol/m²/s (edit as needed in “Stage”).
- Recommended watts includes ~15% headroom for edge losses.
- DLI guidance (mol/m²/day): seedling 6–9, leafy 12–18, fruit 20–35.
Notes for accuracy
- Mix to label strength, then verify with a **calibrated EC & pH meter**. Water alkalinity (KH) changes acid/base needs.
- For multi‑part nutrients, add parts separately and **never** concentrate‑mix A with B before diluting in water.
- Top‑off with plain water; change solution every 1–3 weeks depending on crop & EC drift.
Tips
- Improve accuracy by entering **actual** kWh from a smart plug and real nutrient ml used.
- Use your **local store price** for fair comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the GrowSpace Planner
The calculator also provides recommended planting distances for each crop according to its growth habit. Just type in the size of your grow bed, and it will tell you how many plants to plant!
The pH and level can be different for various crops. The calculator provides you with a safe zone for each crop, allowing you to adjust your hydroponic nutrient mix while staying within that range.
Leafy greens usually require 12 to 14 hours of light, and fruiting crops, including tomatoes, may require as many as 16 hours. The GrowSpace Planner tells you what your light cycle should be.
Yes. Although it was created for small and medium-sized spaces such as grow tents, it is compatible with larger growing systems by mixing and matching the number of plants and expected yield.
You can enter all the details of your crop plan, and it will calculate spacing, nutrients, and yield with one click of a button. The GrowSpace Simulator is available for planning and considering the placement of plants within your grow bed. Using both will get you the most accurate plan.