Category:Farming

 Branch of Adventuring

Overview
Currently in the game, farming can be a full-time profession. The tradeoff is simple. If you are not in a position to kill Elemental and Mystical Creatures, and you need to obtain Elemental Cores, farming is a time consuming but proven way to get them. Farming will consume lots of resources and takes a significant amount of preparation. Given that you will need a lot of fertilizer to have your crops reach maturity, it is wise to begin creating and stockpiling charcoal – a central ingredient in making fertilizer. Do not plant crops until you have achieved a method of producing significant amounts of fertilizer. A smart player will being creating fertilizer while achieving each of the ranks below.

Quote
"Learn to grow your own food, and you can feed yourself without risking life and limb. Work hard and nurture your crops, and you can thrive off the fat of the land."

- In-game description

To increase this knowledge
To increase the skill, you will need to perform the following tasks:

Skill Ranks and Unlocks
Each rank has certain prerequisites to obtain (mostly player level and the previous Rank in order to complete).

Crop Plots
In order to grow seeds in a crop plot, they must have ample water and fertilizer. Once the crop plots have fertilizer and water, seeds may be planted to begin the maturation process. Different seeds mature at different rates. As such, different seeds also require different amounts of fertilizer.

To get water to your crop plots, a system of water pipes and water reservoirs will need to be constructed, ensuring the water pipe has an intake in a deep enough water source and the water tap is within the area of effect for the crop plots.

Once crops mature, the items they produce will appear in the crop plot slots. Many of these items will have spoil timers. Removing the items will greatly increase their spoil times. If you plan to remove items, plan accordingly.

Loss of fertilizer or water to the crop plots will result in loss of crops and the items they produce.

Sizes
Each size builds upon the previous tier

Irrigation
In addition to a constant supply of fertilizer, plants will also require constant watering to successfully mature. If plants suffer from a lack of water they quickly cease maturing and eventually die (disappear). There are several forms forms of irrigation available including wood pipes and stone pipes. The stone pipes are stronger and more of a challenge for a creature or foe to destroy. Irrigation pipes are directly connected to an available water source through an intake pipe. An appropriate water source includes any source of water form which you can drink directly by gathering water. This may be a puddle, river, stream, etc. You will know you have successfully “tapped” a water source when your pipeline turns blue/green showing water flow. If you do not place your crop plots near an available water source, you can supply water from water reservoirs that are filled by rain. Note: the number of reservoirs will depend on how many plots you are trying to irrigate as well as how often rain falls – not an exact science in the game yet. Finally, place a water tap at the end of the pipeline either directly over the crop plots or on the same plane as the crop plots. These taps will act as sprinkler heads. One tap can easily cover an area of four adjoined large crop plots.

More to follow…

Fertilizer
Do not underestimate the amount of fertilizer you may use successfully raise an active, healthy garden. There are three sizes of fertilizer that can be produced in a compost bin. The size of fertilizer is useable in the corresponding size of plot (Small Fertilizer - Small Plot). Each bag of fertilizer in its corresponding plot will allot 5 hours of grow time. If the time runs out the plants will die. Each size builds upon the previous tier

While the crafting of fertilizer can be expensive, a compost bin greatly increase the spoil timers for grass and rotten meat.

Buffs
Although currently bugged, the menus of both the Water Element and Treant suggest they will provide a bonus in farming where the Water Element will provide irrigation of some form and the Treant will provide a growth buff or greenhouse effect for plants

Harvesting Seeds
Seeds currently available include:



Seeds can generally be harvested in the following manner: -Harvest shrubs and bushes with an iron scythe or ghost scythe to obtain all except Darkweed Seeds, Lightblossom Seeds and Fungal Spores. -Use a Boar to harvest fungal spores from shrubs and bushes. Another source of the fungal spores is the swamp. The huge mushrooms there also leave sporadic spores, however the chance is significantly less than with a Boar. -Harvesting a Treant with an iron scythe or ghost scythe to obtain Darkweed Seeds and Lightblossom Seeds

Although this is not helpful to the beginner farmer, the seeds of the plants that have fully matured there are also found in the crop plots.

Harvesting Mature Plants
If you have done everything properly with regard to planting, fertilizing and irrigation, the first tender buds should sprout after some time. The growth rate of each plant varies. As a general rule-of-thumb, the larger the bed, the longer the time to maturity. For example, wheat grows quite quickly compared to Darkweed. In addition to the actual flowers, the crop plots are full of all sorts of great byproducts including various elemental cores, luck clover and new seeds. Each crop plot only produces the plants and direct byproducts for the seeds that have been planted there. An exception is crop plots with fungal spores where four different mushroom varieties may be produced. It is a good rule of thumb to not remove the flowers or other byproducts produced by the seeds until you need them. The spoil timers in the crop plots are lengthy – some of the best in the game. Only “harvest” your byproducts from fully matured plants when you need them or when you have 50 of any one item.

It is also important to note, that fully mature plants use very little fertilizer compared to the period while they were maturing.

Spoil Timers

 * Thundergrass Seeds – Thundergrass will last up to 3 days in a crop plot compared to 5 minutes in your inventory. There is no expiration timer for Air Elemental Core.
 * Fireblossum Seeds – Fire Blossoms will last up to 3 days in a crop plot compared to 5 minutes in your inventory. There is no expiration timer for Fire Elemental Core.
 * Snow Lotus Seeds - Snow Loti will last up to 3 days in a crop plot compared to 5 minutes in your inventory. There is no expiration timer for Water Elemental Core.
 * Terra Flower Seeds - Terra Flower will last up to 3 days in a crop plot compared to 5 minutes in your inventory. There is no expiration timer for Earth Elemental Core.
 * Shrub seeds – Grass will last up to 30 minutes before spoiling while Cooking Herbs will last up to 41 days.

Mystical Support
Although still bugged, the menus for both Treants and Water Elementals show that they will provide a buff or boost to your farming efforts with Treants providing a growth or greenhouse buff and the Water Elemental providing an irrigation buff.

Recipes
fffff Most of the recipes that involve the crops use the Cooking Pot, so find the recipes there.

Highest tier herbivore taming food:

Highest tier carnivore taming food:

More to follow…