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How Far Apart to Plant Leeks

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GardenSays

Your 8×4 ft garden plot fits 64 leeks at 3-inch spacing.

Between plants
3 in
Rows
2 @ 24 in
Total plants
64

Leeks need 2-4 inches between plants, in rows 12-36 inches apart so you can walk between them. At the 3-inch midpoint, that's 32 per row and 2 rows — 64 plants.

Calculated result · 1 verified source · Checked 2026-07-18 · How we decide

The link reopens this exact calculation.

Why

Crowding is the most common spacing mistake: closer planting doesn't add yield, it adds shade, disease pressure, and small fruit. When in doubt, use the wider end of the range.

  • Air circulation between mature plants is the cheapest disease prevention there is.
  • Roots spread wider than the plant looks in June — spacing is set for August size.

When this doesn't apply

  • UMN's own figure (2-4 in close spacing) is used as primary; UMD independently states 5 in, showing real reasonable variance rather than one source being wrong.
  • Compact leeks can take the tight end of the range; large or vigorous ones want the wide end.
  • Square-foot gardening compresses further than these numbers — it trades yield per plant for yield per bed and needs diligent feeding.

How this was calculated

  1. 1. In-row spacing3 in

    Leek: 2-4 inches between plants (extension guidance); midpoint used

  2. 2. Row layout32/row × 2 rows

    Rows 12-36 inches apart (midpoint 24 in) so you can walk and harvest: 96÷3 per row, 48÷24 rows

  3. 3. Total64 plants

    32 × 2

Data sources

What changes this answer

Layout

Bed length (ft)

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Bed width (ft)

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