40d Talk:Farm plot

Equipment

I forgot to designate a farmer(plot) at the prepare screen. I added the task to my fisherdwarf, there is no free water on the map so he cannot fish anyway, but he refuses to farm (even though he created a plot).

Should he need any eqiupment which I don't have due to my oversight?

ThanksGarrieIrons 05:48, 8 January 2008 (EST)

AFAIK, you need *some* skill level to build a related building. Meaning grower is one of those skills you need atleast a single skill point in to use. Best bet is to either survive on hunting and herbalism, or restart. --Edward 07:12, 8 January 2008 (EST)

The plot is built - but they refuse to plant it. Having looked at soil - is that because it is sandy loam? It isn't on the list at that article. Maybe it's time I learned how to irrigate?GarrieIrons 07:30, 8 January 2008 (EST)

If you built the plot, then it should be farmable. You have seeds and have told that plot to use those seeds, right? If so, I don't know why the fisher's not farming. Will other dwarfs farm with the labor on? --Edward 20:17, 8 January 2008 (EST)

you do not need any level of skill to build anything edward, just need to turn on that job type. Chariot 22:02, 8 January 2008 (EST)

Suggested size

Anyone got a better estimate than "25 squares will get an undefined number of dwarves through one winter"? On that note, do dwarves eat more during winter? --Juckto 06:44, 6 May 2008 (EDT)

A 25 square plot growing plump helmets can easily provide food and beer indefinitely for 40-50 dwarves with a low skill dedicated grower. A high skill dedicated grower can easily support 80-100 dwarves. Only thing to be careful of would be the grower going on break, but placing a second or third grower should enable you too support a fort without worry. All previous testing seems to indicate that dwarves do not eat more during winter.--Metalax 08:35, 6 May 2008 (EDT)

I use 25-square plots as well, and rotate crops to ensure variety in my food & drink offerings. I use a brewer and a cook to turn sweet pod and quarry bush into high-value ingredients, and I grow (inedible) pig tails so that I'll have bags to store my quarry bush leaves and whip vine flour. Even after all of that, I find two 25-square plots quickly fill up my food supplies to overflowing. I can also usually afford to trade away the ten most valuable stacks of food in my fortress in exchange for most of what a caravan brings me.

Fertilization

I know that potash is used for fertilization, sometimes I have potash lying around, but I can't fertilize. There needs to be a section to explain how fertilization works.--Rusty Mcloon 10:54, 31 July 2008 (EDT)

Caveat

If you build a farm plot and the majority, but not all of the tiles are underground, the plot will be an underground plot, but will be completely unusable. There's no notification of any sort to tell you this and it'll just look like your farmers are lazy. --Xonara 09:58, 25 October 2008 (EDT)