How many trees per acre?

Divide 43,560 sq ft by the area each tree occupies (row spacing × tree spacing). At 10 ft × 10 ft that is 43,560 ÷ 100 = 436 trees per acre; at 20 ft × 20 ft it is 109; at 8 ft × 10 ft it is 545. Per hectare, divide 10,000 m² by the spacing in metres: 3 m × 3 m gives 1,111 trees per hectare.

How do I calculate triangular tree spacing?

In a triangular (equilateral or hexagonal) layout every tree is the same distance S from its neighbours, and rows are S × 0.866 apart. Trees per acre = 43,560 ÷ (0.866 × S²), which is 1.1547 times the square-grid figure. At 10 ft that is 503 trees per acre instead of 436.

Is staggered planting the same as triangular?

Only when the rows are 0.866 × the tree spacing apart. Staggered rows that keep the same row spacing as a square grid still give each tree the same area (row × tree spacing), so the density per acre is the same; the stagger only spreads canopies and roots more evenly. The triangular option moves the rows closer to fit about 15.5% more trees.

What spacing gives 500 trees per acre?

A square grid of √(43,560 ÷ 500) = 9.3 ft, or a triangular grid of √(43,560 ÷ (0.866 × 500)) = 10.0 ft between trees. The "Spacing for a target density" box works this out for any number per acre or per hectare.

What is the standard spacing for fruit trees?

It depends on rootstock and variety. Dwarf apple trees need about 8–10 ft between trees and 12 ft between rows, semi-dwarf about 15 ft × 18 ft, and standard trees 20–25 ft × 25 ft. Check the mature canopy width for your cultivar.

How many extra seedlings should I order?

Planting losses vary with stock, site and weather, so many planters add 5–15%. Enter the allowance in the calculator and it rounds the seedling count up.

Why is my plot count lower than the per-acre figure?

Trees per acre is an area density for an endless grid. A real plot loses part of a row or column at the edges, and a setback from a fence removes more, so a small plot holds fewer trees than its area × density.

Tree Spacing Calculator

Trees per acre = 43,560 ÷ (row spacing × tree spacing in feet); trees per hectare = 10,000 ÷ (row × tree spacing in metres). Triangular spacing puts rows 0.866 × the spacing apart and fits 15.5% more trees (× 1.1547) than a square grid.

Tree & Area Settings

Unit

Tree Type (optional preset)

Layout

Area per tree = row spacing × tree spacing.

Row Spacing (ft)

Tree Spacing (ft)

Plot Length (ft)

Plot Width (ft)

Edge Setback (ft)

Losses (%)

Enter your plot dimensions and spacing, then click Calculate Tree Count.

Spacing for a target density

Trees wanted

Per

Square spacing: —
Triangular spacing: —

Trees per acre and per hectare by spacing

Square = 43,560 ÷ S² per acre (10,000 ÷ S² per hectare). Triangular = square × 1.1547, because rows are 0.866 × S apart.

Spacing (ft)	Square / acre	Triangular / acre
4 × 4	2,723	3,144
5 × 5	1,742	2,012
6 × 6	1,210	1,397
8 × 8	681	786
10 × 10	436	503
12 × 12	303	349
15 × 15	194	224
20 × 20	109	126
25 × 25	70	80
30 × 30	48	56
40 × 40	27	31

Spacing (m)	Square / ha	Triangular / ha
1 × 1	10,000	11,547
1.5 × 1.5	4,444	5,132
2 × 2	2,500	2,887
2.5 × 2.5	1,600	1,848
3 × 3	1,111	1,283
4 × 4	625	722
5 × 5	400	462
6 × 6	278	321
8 × 8	156	180
10 × 10	100	115

Worked examples

Square grid, 100 × 100 ft at 20 ft. 100 ÷ 20 = 5 rows of 5 trees = 25 trees, with the outer trees 10 ft from the edge. Density = 43,560 ÷ 400 = 109 trees per acre.
Triangular, same plot and spacing. Rows are 20 × 0.866 = 17.3 ft apart, so 5 rows fit. The shifted rows hold one tree fewer: 3 × 5 + 2 × 4 = 23 trees. On a large field the density is 43,560 ÷ (17.32 × 20) = 126 trees per acre, 15.5% more than the square grid.
Pine plantation, 8 × 10 ft. 43,560 ÷ 80 = 545 trees per acre. For 12 acres that is 6,534 trees, and with a 10% allowance for losses 7,188 seedlings.
Metric, 3 × 3 m. 10,000 ÷ 9 = 1,111 trees per hectare; triangular at 3 m gives 1,283.
Target density. For 1,000 trees per hectare: square spacing √(10,000 ÷ 1,000) = 3.16 m, triangular √(10,000 ÷ (0.866 × 1,000)) = 3.40 m.

Summary

The Tree Spacing Calculator tells you how many trees fit in a rectangular plot and what that means per acre and per hectare. Choose a square or rectangular grid, a triangular (equilateral, hexagonal) layout where every tree is the same distance from its six neighbours, or staggered rows that keep your row spacing but offset alternate rows by half a tree. Set an edge setback from fences or boundaries, add a mortality allowance to get the number of seedlings to order, or work backwards from a target density to the spacing you need. Presets cover common fruit, nut, shade, timber and Christmas trees.

How it works

Pick a tree type to load a typical spacing, or type your own row spacing (between rows) and tree spacing (within a row) in feet or metres.
Choose the layout. Square/rectangular: area per tree = row spacing × tree spacing. Triangular: rows sit 0.866 (√3 ÷ 2) × the tree spacing apart, so area per tree = 0.866 × S². Staggered: alternate rows shift by half a tree at your row spacing.
Enter the plot length and width. With the setback blank, each tree gets its own spacing cell, so the outer trees sit half a spacing from the edge. Enter a setback to place the outer trees that far from the boundary instead.
The result shows the tree count, rows, trees per row, trees per acre and per hectare, and the seedlings to order after the mortality allowance.
Use "Spacing for a target density" to find the square and triangular spacing that gives a chosen number of trees per acre or hectare.

Use cases

Plan a backyard orchard and estimate how many fruit trees fit.
Work out timber, pulpwood or Christmas tree planting density per acre or hectare.
Compare square and triangular layouts to fit more trees in the same field.
Order seedlings for a reforestation project with an allowance for losses.
Find the spacing that hits a cost-share or management-plan density target.
Lay out a windbreak or hedgerow with staggered rows.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-10-10 · Reviewed by Nham Vu