Staple food crops
Soil Fertility and Crop Growth Planning
Matching crop plans to soil fertility helps manage time to harvest without mistaking faster growth for greater per-plant yield.
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Soil Fertility and Crop Growth Planning
Suitable outdoor grow zones on nearby rich, normal, or stony soil, chosen after checking the terrain and the selected crop’s information.
Before you go
- A colonist with Grow work enabled.
- A crop whose minimum fertility requirement is met by the chosen terrain.
- Growing-zone cells with suitable temperature, light, and season.
- Access to food storage or the relevant material stockpile.
Farming steps
- Hover over candidate cells to inspect terrain and fertility before placing a zone.
- Check the selected crop’s minimum fertility and growth information; do not assume every crop responds equally to fertility.
- Place the zone on viable terrain and select the crop in its inspect pane.
- Use richer nearby ground for crops where faster maturation matters, such as when the season is short.
- Consider a lower-fertility nearby plot for less time-sensitive production if it meets the crop’s requirement.
- Assign Grow work and monitor plant status as temperature, light, and season change.
- Harvest mature plants and compare actual output and timing before adjusting the next field.
- Prioritize convenient fields: the extra growth from distant rich soil may not repay additional travel and hauling.
- Use a skilled Plants worker for harvesting when available; harvest yield has factors beyond soil fertility.
Repeat, collect and use
This planning check applies to each new field and crop cycle; it does not itself produce a harvest. Reassess whenever changing crop, location, or season.
Common mistakes
- Expecting fertility to increase each plant’s base yield: use it to estimate growth speed instead.
- Ignoring the crop’s minimum fertility: a zone on unsuitable terrain will not solve the problem.
- Treating the in-game growth time as fixed: environment and plant resting periods affect actual maturation.
When to stop or switch
Stop comparing fields once a nearby viable plot meets the crop’s needs and the colony can accept its expected growth pace; reconsider if the season or crop changes.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.