Plants

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Plants Menu Wild Plants Trees Domesticated Plants Decorative Plants

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Template:Tocright Plants come in varieties that are either cultivated or grow wild. Cultivated plants are planted by colonists in a growing zone or a hydroponics basin, mainly for food. Wild plants grow naturally throughout the map. Some wild plants spread themselves via seeds. Animals mostly graze on wild plants but will happily eat cultivated crops as well, including tamed animals. Since Alpha 17, they leave ash on the ground when burnt.

Growth Rate Factors

Fertility

The medium used to grow the plants in matters for both for growth speed and if growing a plant is even possible in any given spot.

Most plants have a Fertiltiy requirement of at least 50%. However, most Trees come out with a measily 30% Fertility.

Most plants have a <fertilityFactorGrowthRate>, which is used to determine how "picky" a plant is about how fertile its terrain needs to be. A plant with a <fertilityFactorGrowthRate> of 0 will not care if it is planted on fertile soil or sand; it will grow at the same rate on any terrain tile that will accept its roots. In contrast, a plant with a <fertilityFactorGrowthRate> of 1 will not grow so well if it is planted on anything less fertile than standard soil.

Note: Beyond 100% Fertility, high Fertiltiy Sensitivity becomes a bonus rather then a penalty. For such cases highly sensitive plants are preferable.

• Sand: 6%
• Gravel and Marshy soil: 70%
• Soil and Lichen-covered dirt: 100%
• Fertile soil: 140%
• Hydroponics: 230%

(GRF(F)) Growth Rate Factor: Fertility = 1 + ( fertilityFactorGrowthRate × (Terrain Fertility − 1))

Temperature

For normal growth rate, plants require temperature between 10 °C (50 °F) and 42 °C (107.6 °F). Plant growth rate drops by 10.0% for each degree Celsius below 10 °C (50 °F), and by 6.25% for each degree above 42 °C (107.6 °F). The plant's info window will show 'Out of ideal temperature range (growing at xx% of normal speed)'. Plants will not grow when the temperature falls below 1 °C (33.8 °F) or rises above 57 °C (134.6 °F). The plant's info window will show 'Out of ideal temperature range (not growing)'. If the temperature drops below -10 °C (14 °F), it will either die or lose its leaves, depending on the type of plant. Leafless plants cannot grow, and will take a full day to regrow their leaves after the temperature rises back above -2 °C (28.4 °F).

(GRF(T)) Growth Rate Factor: Temperature = (Temperature(T)) ÷ 10                         ; Temperature(T) < 10C
(GRF(T)) Growth Rate Factor: Temperature = 1                                               ; 10C ≤ Temperature(T) ≤ 42C
(GRF(T)) Growth Rate Factor: Temperature = (58C − Temperature(T)) ÷ 15 ; 42C < Temperature(T)

Light

Most plants typically require at least 51% light to grow.

Decorative Plants typically require at least 30% light to grow.

This minimum light value can be modified by changing a plant's <growMinGlow> value. When a plant lacks adequate light its info window indicates this with the text 'Needs light level: ##%'. Over that minimum a plant's growth rate will increase until it reaches its optimal light level (100% standard). A plant's optimal light level can be modified by changing its <growOptimalGlow> value.

Most artificial light sources only provide 50% light. Only decorative plants can grown under such poor light conditions. The sun lamp provides 100% light in its radius, and is thus usually required for any indoor growing.

(GRF(L)) Growth Rate Factor: Light = (Light(L) − growMinGlow) ÷ (growOptimalGlow − growMinGlow)

Rest

All plants rest from hour 19 through hour 5. More accurately, plants rest for 11h of the day, leaving 13h of the day for growing.
During the plant resting time period, plants will not grow no matter the light level.
A new constant, Growing Ticks/Day, can be found by multiplying Ticks/Day by 13/24 Around(~0.541)

Growing Ticks/Day = (60,000 Ticks/Day × 13/24) = 32,500 Ticks
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Instant Growth

All plants receive an instantaneous growth of 5% when sown/planted.
This is relevant because it means that all plants only need to grow 95% from the moment they are planted to become fully grown (100%).
You'll see this show up in a later equation as a new value: Growth Remaining
You can use this value to help determine how long a plant has left before it is fully grown.

Growth Remaining = (1 − 0.05)

= 0.95 ; Plant was just sown/planted

Growth Remaining = (1 − Current Growth)

; Plant was sown/planted some time ago

Actual Growth Time

The Growth Time displayed in-game can tend to confuse a player into thinking a plant will be fully grown in X number of days.
Due to the various Growth Rate Factors (Fertility, Temperature, Light) and every plant's need to rest, the growDays or "Growth Time" listed in-game is not an accurate/intuitive representation of how long a plant actually takes to grow.
For example: A Raspberry Bush (3:growDays), on Soil (1:Fert), experiencing optimal temperature and light 100% of the time (1:Temp, 1:Light), will take approximately 5.18 actual in-game days to grow.
It is important to remember this when setting up your growing zones.

Actual Growth Time = (Growth Remaining × 60,000 Ticks/Day × growDays) ÷ (Growing Ticks/Day × GRF(F) × GRF(T) × GRF(L))

Lifespan

Even if they are not harvested or eaten, plants do not live forever. The counting of their lifetime starts when the plant is sown/spawned. Since plants only grow during certain hours, and growth rate varies greatly under different circumstances, it is possible for a plant to die before it reaches full maturity or even while still on the initial progress. This is called "dying of rot".

The lifespan of a plant is calculated by simply multiplying the plant's growDays by its lifespanFraction.
Most vanilla plants have a default lifespanFraction of 5, but some go as high as 8. Trees do have this property as well, but due to their long growth time this is rarely relevant

Domesticated Plants

	Grow Days	Harvest Yield	Real Grow Days	Nutrition Per Day (normal)	Nutrition Per Day (fertile)	Nutrition Per Day (gravel)	Nutrition Per Day (hydroponic)	Fertility Sensitivity
Bonsai tree	1.5	2	2.77					0.5
Cocoa tree	16	20	29.54					0.5
Corn plant	11.3	22	20.86					1
Cotton plant	8	10	14.77					1
Devilstrand mushroom	22.5	6	41.54					1
Fibercorn	6	2	11.08					0.1
Gauranlen pod	6	1	11.08					0.15
Haygrass	7	18	12.92					0.6
Healroot	7	1	12.92					1
Hop plant	5	8	9.23					0.7
Nutrifungus	6	11	11.08					0.15
Potato plant	5.8	11	10.71					0.4
Psychoid plant	9	8	16.62					0.4
Rice plant	3	6	5.54					1
Smokeleaf plant	7.5	9	13.85					1
Strawberry plant	4.6	8	8.49					1
Tinctoria	2	1	3.69					1
Toxipotato plant	4.9	7	9.05					0

Real Grow Days = Grow Days ÷ 0.55

Nutrition per Day = Harvest Yield × Nutrition (0.05) ÷ Real Grow Days

Decorative Plants

	Name	Beauty Base	Minimum Yield	Maximum Yield	Product	Growth Time	Fertility Factor
Bonsai tree	Bonsai tree	15
Dandelions	Dandelions	4
Daylily	Daylily	18
Rose	Rose	14

Wild Plants

	Name	Beauty Base	Minimum Yield	Maximum Yield	Product	Growth Time	Fertility Factor
Agarilux	Agarilux	4
Agave	Agave
Alocasia	Alocasia
Ambrosia bush	Ambrosia bush
Anima grass	Anima grass
Astragalus	Astragalus	4
Berry bush	Berry bush
Brambles	Brambles
Bryolux	Bryolux	1
Bush	Bush
Chokevine	Chokevine
Clivia	Clivia	2
Gauranlen moss	Gauranlen moss	10
Giant rafflesia	Giant rafflesia	-6
Glowstool	Glowstool	2
Grass	Grass
Gray grass	Gray grass
Low shrubs	Low shrubs
Moss	Moss
Pincushion cactus	Pincushion cactus
Ripthorn	Ripthorn
Tall grass	Tall grass
Wild healroot	Wild healroot

Trees

	Beauty Base	Minimum Yield	Maximum Yield	Product	Growth Time	Fertility Factor
Anima tree	5
Bamboo tree
Birch tree	2
Bonsai tree	15
Burned stump	-8
Cecropia tree	1
Chopped stump	0
Chopped stump (Polluted)
Cocoa tree	2
Cypress tree	1
Drago tree	1
Gauranlen tree	6
Gray pine tree	-5
Maple tree	2
Oak tree	2
Palm tree	1
Pebble cactus	-5
Pine tree	2
Polux tree
Poplar tree	1
Rat palm tree	-5
Saguaro cactus
Smashed stump	-8
Smashed stump (Polluted)
Teak tree	2
Timbershroom
Willow tree	2
Witchwood tree	-5

Yield per Day' = Yield × (1 − Plant Resting)×[(Fertility of Soil × Fertility Factor) + 1 − Fertility Factor) ÷ Growth Time]

Plants per Colonist' = Hunger ÷ (Yield per Day × Nutrition)

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Plants

Domesticated plants

Cocoa tree • Corn plant • Cotton plant • Devilstrand mushroom • Haygrass • Healroot • Hop plant • Potato plant • Psychoid plant • Rice plant • Smokeleaf plant • Strawberry plant • Tinctoria • Fibercorn • Gauranlen pod • Nutrifungus • Toxipotato plant

Decorative plants

Dandelions • Daylily • Rose • Bonsai tree

Wild plants

Agarilux • Agave • Alocasia • Ambrosia bush • Astragalus • Berry bush • Brambles • Bryolux • Bush • Chokevine • Clivia • Giant rafflesia • Glowstool • Grass • Low shrubs • Moss • Pincushion cactus • Tall grass • Wild healroot • Anima grass • Gauranlen moss

Trees

Bamboo tree • Birch tree • Cecropia tree • Cypress tree • Drago tree • Maple tree • Oak tree • Palm tree • Pine tree • Poplar tree • Saguaro cactus • Teak tree • Willow tree • Anima tree • Gauranlen tree • Timbershroom • Gray pine tree • Pebble cactus • Polux tree • Rat palm tree • Witchwood tree

Tree stumps

Burned stump • Chopped stump (Gauranlen , Anima , Polux ) • Smashed stump (Gauranlen , Anima , Polux )

Plant Growth approaches

The player has a number of options to get plants grown for food and raw material. Each of them has their up- and downsides and a proper mix of them is nesseary to be resistant to disruptions, inclding seasons.

Fields

You just define a growing zone, select the plants and let nature and your pawns set to growing do the rest. Optionally a field can be surrounded by a wall. This will keep pests out, allowing the plants to grow in peace. However tamed animals need to be excluded manually.

Upsides:

• No cost, excluding the worktime to sow and harvest
• Avalible at the start, regardless of technology level

Downsides:

• Entirely dependant on the "Growing Seasons" of a tile
• Highly vulnerable to off-seasonal temperature variations
• Can not be roofed, as this blocks sunlight (however see Greenhouse)

Greenhouse

The Greenhous is a walled and roofed growing zone, with a sunlamp providing the nessesary light. The usual goal is to add full artificial temperature control to otherwise fertile soil.

Upsides:

• avalible with electricity research, wich is at the start for many Scenarios
• relatively low cost for enclosure and sunlamp alone (however, consider energy production)
• full resistance to temperature variations
• slightly increased growth, due to persistent 100% lighting level from sun lamp
• uses the often still fertile ground
• energy outtakes will only stunt growth, not kill existing plants on their own

Downsides:

• Sunlamps need incredible amounts of power - 1-2 solar generators worth of production - for the entirety of the plants non-rest cycle
• Energy production can cost incredible amounts of resources, both upfront and in maintenance/refueling
• may require reserach
• still requires fertile soil, so usually can not be placed under mountain roofing.

Hydroponics Bay

Hydroponics is the knowledge of growing plants without Soil, often using a nutrient bath. In game it requires the setup of a greenhouse with one or more Hydroponics basins. Often the growing zone is entirely cut out as the basins conflict with it.

Upsides:

• can be placed anywhere construction is possible, including inside mountains
• Basins provide a effective fertility of 230, easily doubling growth speed of many plants
• only minor additional power cost for the basins (compared to the power hungry sunlamp)
• full flooring can be used to speed up movement and thus passing through, harvesting and sowing speed
• 100 tiles of useable space per sunlamp, meaning theoretically 25 basins worth of space per sunlamp possible (slightly less useable in practice)
• Plants with high fertility sensitivity grow especially well

Downsides:

• needs incredible amounts of resources - both steel and components - for the basins
• if the basin is disabeled in any way - both power outages and breaking - plants will die within the ingame hour
• a basewide power outage will wipe out the entire plantstock in all basins, requiring extensive replanting and possibly disrupting food production
• only a select few crops can be grown in the basins, usually ones with growthtimes under 10 days