Farming

"Daucuscarots. Edible and delicious."

- Wickerbottom Farming is the process of growing Food or other resources to aid in survival. In general it requires a permanent base camp where the crops can be planted and grown. There are several types of farming including Farms, transplanted items such as Berry Bushes, and Ranching.

Farms
Farms are made by creating Basic or Improved Farms which are fertile patches of ground where Vegetables can be grown. Once built, Seeds can be planted in them which will grow into random vegetables, or Crop Seeds for desired crops. Some Vegetables from regular Seeds grow more frequently than others (see table, below). Farms can be used to grow 20-30 vegetables before they lose fertility and require additional fertilizing. Crops will only grow during the day time when the temperature is above 5 degrees; all other time the growth stops. When temperature is above 28 degrees crops grow 100% faster; when it's raining crops grow up to 300% (depending on precipitation rate) faster. This means, that when it's hot and heavy raining crops grow up to 400% faster.

Specific vegetables can be grown in Farms by using Crop Seeds. These seeds are produced by feeding a Bird imprisoned in a Birdcage any vegetable or fruit; except for Mandrakes or Berries. The Bird will drop 1 or 2 Crop Seeds of the selected type, plus an occasional regular Seeds (total of 3 possible seeds). Once planted these seeds will only produce the crop they came from.

Fertilizers
Items such as Guano, Manure, Rot, and Rotten Eggs can be used as fertilizers. When placed on the sprout in a Farm, fertilizers will advance its growth. The amount of fertilizer needed to fully grow a newly planted crop depends on the type of Farm and the type of fertilizer.

One Guano substitutes 15, one Manure substitutes 10 and one Rot   /  Rotten Egg  substitutes 2.5 daylight hours. Thus  Basic Farms need 3 Guano, 4 Ma nure or 16 Rot / Rotten eggs, and Improved Farms need only 2 Guano, 2 Manure or 8 Rot / Rotten Eggs to fully grow a newly planted crop. Fertilizers do not advance crop growth when it's below 0  degrees in Winter.

Fertilizers are also needed once a Farm loses fertility, which happens after 20-30 uses depending on the type of Farm. When a Farm is depleted it will turn a lighter shade of brown. Manure will rejuvenate a Farm for 10 additional uses; Rot or Rotten Eggs will only provide 2.

Fertilizers are also needed for transplanted plants. Berry Bushes and Grass Tufts that are dug up with a shovel and replanted must be fertilized before they will start to produce again. After a Berry Bush has been harvested for 3-5 times, or a Grass Tuft for 20 times they will require additional fertilizer. Bushes and Grass that grow naturally never need to be fertilized.

Transplanting
Berry Bushes, Grass Tufts, Saplings and Spiky Bushes can all be dug up with a shovel and replanted anywhere. Typically this is done to move them closer to base camp for easy harvesting. Grass and Berries will need to be fertilized before they begin to produce, and when their harvest limit is reached. Saplings and Spiky Bushes do not need to be fertilized.

Planting these items close together will make them easy to quickly gather, however this leaves them vulnerable to lightning strikes, which can set the entire patch ablaze. To counter this, plants can be placed in small groups with gaps between them so that if one catches fire it will only take a few other plants with it. Additionally, Lightning Rods can be built which will help prevent fires.

Ranching
Ranching is the farming of animals such as Butterflies, Pigs, and Beefalo. Generally ranching can only be done with animals that can respawn. Each type of animal requires its own way of ranching.

Butterflies
Butterfly farms can be produced by catching butterflies in a Bug Net. Once captured, they can be planted as flowers anywhere. Flowers require no maintenance and can spawn additional Butterflies as soon as they are planted. The more flowers in a given area, the more Butterflies will be spawned. When the Butterfly population is high enough they can be killed for their Wings.

Pigs
Pigs spawn from Pig Houses and live in them. Each house built will spawn one Pig and will respawn them if they are killed (after a few days). Pigs sometimes drop Pig Skin when killed, which is required to make additional Pig Houses. Pigs are useful because they can be convinced to follow Wilson, fight monsters and chop trees, and because they can produce Manure when fed vegetables, flower petals or rot.

Beefalo
Beefalo regularly drop manure without being fed (Unlike pigs) increasing the use of Ranching them. They will also spawn Baby Beefalos during mating season, making them irregularly aggro. It's best to keep your Penned Beefalo fairly far from your base camp, as when Mating Season rolls around picking up their Manure will be an Aggressive event.