Farming is a very good way to build a self-sufficient base in terms of food. Some types of foods and Ingredients can only be obtained by farming. In Empyrion : Galactic survival farming is done by planting sprouts in a Growing Plot and placing a Plant Grow Light above them. Sprouts can be made in Food Processor. Farming gives a good amount of xp (100xp for planting, 200xp for harvesting at difficulty level 2) which helps to level up faster in early stages in the game.
Requirements
At minimum, the following are needed:
Farming requires an oxygenated radiation-free space
- A functioning Base that can be left running continuously for at least 35 minutes (real time).
- A
Plant Grow Light - A
Growing Plot - A Sprout of some kind
With the introduction of oxygenated rooms and radiation in Alpha 6.x.x, radiation makes plants die quasi-instantly. Lack of oxygen prevents the growth of plants, but does not kill plants.
Basic Setup
A small functional farm
In order to start farming:
- Place one or more Growing Plots with the dirt side up (default orientation) on either a Base or Capital Vessel.
- Place the Plant Grow Light on the ceiling above the Growing Plot.
- There should be a two block gap between the Growing Plot surface and the ceiling; one block is occupied by the Plant Grow Light, and the other will be occupied by the plant growing in the Growing Plot.
- Place a Sprout on top of the Growing Plot; a seedling will appear.
- Leave the base running for the growing time of the planted sprout. The playfield also has to be loaded, i.e. a player has to be in the same playfield.
- Use the interaction key (default 'T') to harvest the plant once it is mature (see Farmable Plants for images).
Farming for Efficiency
- The most efficient, self-sustaining food is Canned Vegetables.
- This requires equal parts Space Durians, Pumpkins, and Tomatoes, but since Pumpkins have a growth time of 35, while Space Durians and Tomatoes have a growth time of 30, the ratios you should plant depends on your style of farming.
- If you intend to do your planting and leave for longer than 35 game-minutes, an equal ratio of all plants is preferred.
- If you will be vigilant and constantly tending your garden, you will need to plant 7 Pumpkins for every 6 Durians and Tomatoes. This will create a mathematically equal yield over multiple 30 game-minute spans if all plants are harvested on time.
To learn more about farming see the farming guide