Farming: Difference between revisions

Seeds can also be found in seed and farming [[Loot Vessels|loot vessels]] located in [[ruins]] - some crops can '''only''' be acquired this way.

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Using a [[hoe]] + right mouse button on a soil block creates dry farmland. If the farmland is within 3 blocks of a water source block, it will be converted from dry to moist farmland. Other solutions for creating moist farmland include daily watering using a watering can, or relying on rain in a rainy area. Moisture levels above 50% gives a bonus to growth speed. More specifically, reducing the total hours needed for a crop to grow to the next stage by up to two hours of in-game time, if at 100% moisture.

Nearby water provides moisture to horizontally adjacent farmland within 3 blocks, including along the diagonal. The moisture bonus provided by nearby water is reduced by 25% for each 1 block that the farmland is distant from the water. Thus, farmland immediately next to a water block will be granted 75% moisture, two blocks away will be granted 50% moisture, and 3 blocks away will be granted 25% moisture. Farmland does not absorb moisture from water in a vertical direction (i.e. farmland created directly above the surface of a lake will not stay moist from the water below it).

'''Farmland blocks ''cannot be picked up and replaced'' once converted. Breaking farmland destroys the block.'''

When crops advance from one growth stage to the next, they consume nutrients from the farmland on which they are planted. The required nutrient, K, P, or N, is the nutrient that will be consumed, reducing the concentration of that nutrient in the farmland. The amount of the nutrient required per growth stage is determined by dividing the Nutrient Consumption by the number of growth stages.

Nutrients in farmland slowly replenish over time and return to the maximum level per soil type, for instance medium fertility will only regain nutrients to original levels. The rate of nutrient replenishment is slower if a crop is growing on it and faster when left fallow - meaning no crop growing. The nutrition type used by the currently growing crop will regenerate even slower then the two not actively used, and effectively wont replenish at all, as the currently growing crop reduces it with every growth tick. If the crop on the farmland is ripe, none of the nutrients will replenish.<br>

Nutrition replenishment ticks every 3 to 4 ingame hours.  

[[File:2021-05-13 CropRotation.png |right|320px|thumb]]

Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of different types of crops in the same area over time and has been used since ancient times to maximize crop production. Nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K) dependent crops can be rotated on the same growing area. For example, after harvesting a nitrogen dependent crop such as turnips, the soil will have a lower level of nitrogen but high levels of the two other nutrients. Therefore a phosphate or potassium dependent crop can be planted in the same soil.  

A common crop rotation strategy is to divide the fertile area into four sections, one each for N, P or K dependent crops and one left fallow (without any crops growing). In the screenshot on the right, turnips (N-dependent) are planted in the top left, onions (P-dependent) in the top right, carrots (K-dependent) in the bottom right and the bottom left area is left without any crops. After harvest the planting will be rotated clockwise so that turnips will now be planted in the top right, onions in the bottom right, carrots in the bottom left and the top left will not have any crops. Rotate clockwise again after each harvest.  

Note that the rotation will depend on the slowest crop to mature which in this case are the carrots (4 in-game days). Because nutrients replenish best in fallow soil, one area is kept unplanted during each rotation. This strategy is particularly useful if the player does not have access to fertilizer yet. You can make variations on this strategy to suit your crop mix.

Fertilizer such as [[saltpeter]], [[potash]] and [[bonemeal]] can be applied to the soil to replenish nutriments depleted by the growth of crops without waiting for the slow natural replenishment in fallow soil (no crops planted) or the need for crop rotation.  

For example, the important crop flax removes potassium from the soil as it grows. Adding potash or saltpeter to the depleted soil after harvest will replenish potassium levels and allow replanting of flax on the same soil without waiting for natural replenishment and without the need for crop rotation. The type and amount of nutrient required for each crop is shown in the table of available crops in the next section. Having sufficient nutrients for each crop allows for the optimal growth rate if temperature and light requirements are also met.  

Using fertilizer is the only time a soil type can exceed the maximum nutrient level of the soil type.  

Note that saltpeter can't be detected by a [[prospecting pick]] (propick) and must be found while exploring caves.

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Pumpkins are cultivated differently than all other crops. Please see the [[pumpkin]] page for detailed instructions about establishing a pumpkin patch.

When building a farm, one should keep in mind that [[Hare|rabbits]] will go after planted crops and eat them. Seeds may drop, depending of plant maturity, and left ignored, but will despawn soon.<br>

Rabbits spawn on grass blocks, so to rabbit-proof your farms, it is recommended to either use a wall, fence or a 2 blocks deep dry moat around the farm blocks, leaving no grass blocks in the enclosed area. The latter offers the added bonus of catching hungry rabbits when they try to reach the players crops.<br>

Wild crops will be ignored by rabbits.

Starting with version 1.14, underground farming will no longer be an easily achievable solution. There is now a soft limit for plant growth in relation to depth below sea level: Each level below sea level requires one extra light level for the crop to grow, and below light level 19, each farther level incurs a 10% growth penality, which means growth will stop entirely at light level 9.

Given that the suns light level is 22, this means that with light shafts alone, which would be a direct connection between the sky and the farmland in form of a hole in the ground, farms can be placed at a maximum 3 levels below sea level without incurring growth penalties, and a maximum 12 levels below sea level before growth stops completely.

With a fully set chandelier, which would reach light level 24, a slightly lower depth might be reached. However, light levels do not accumulate, meaning combining a light shaft with light level 22 and a lantern with light level 18 will still result in a maximum light level of 22.

"Underground" farms in a mountain range above sea level would however still be possible, as long as the required light level for growth is achieved with sun or artificial light.

In a default height world, sea level is at 110.

:''See [[cooking]] or [[satiety]] for more information on player nutrition and preparing foods to eat.''

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