Staple food crops
Rice
A quick-turnover staple for establishing food reserves when the colony needs a harvest sooner than slower crops can provide.
WHERE & HOW TO FARM
Rice
A fertile, unroofed growable patch close to the kitchen or freezer and inside a defensible colony area.
Before you go
- A growing zone on viable terrain with adequate light and temperature.
- Rice selected in the zone’s inspect pane.
- At least one colonist assigned Grow work and meeting the crop’s minimum skill requirement.
- A food stockpile or freezer reachable by haulers.
Farming steps
- Open Architect > Zone and place a growing zone on suitable soil; avoid constructed floors, roofs, and infertile terrain.
- Select the zone and choose rice as its crop. Check the zone’s local growing-period display and the plant’s temperature and light information.
- Enable Grow work for a colonist who can sow rice. Keep the field accessible and prevent livestock from grazing it.
- Let plants mature before harvesting when possible; harvest yield depends partly on plant maturity and the harvester’s Plants skill.
- Haul the rice promptly to a kitchen or food stockpile. Use it for meals first, then keep an emergency reserve before assigning any remainder to trade.
- Keep a rice plot near storage: frequent crop handling makes long hauling routes costly in pawn time.
- Fertile soil speeds growth; it does not increase the base yield of an individual plant. Choose nearby good soil rather than a distant patch.
Repeat, collect and use
Repeat sowing and harvesting while the growing period and colony food needs justify the labor. Rice is a renewable crop, but outdoor sowing is limited by the local season and growing conditions.
Common mistakes
- Planting a large field without checking the season: use the zone inspect pane and plant information before committing scarce labor.
- Selling the harvest before setting aside meals and reserves: reserve food first, then trade true surplus.
- Expecting high soil fertility to raise each plant’s yield: use fertility to shorten growth time, not to predict more rice per plant.
When to stop or switch
Reduce or pause rice planting once food reserves are secure or Grow work is needed for a more urgent crop; resume when stores or the next growing season call for it.
Sources & fact checks
What you can get here
Open a guide to find other locations and see what the item is used for.