why can't you plant devilstrand in hydroponics?

[Breakingzap]

the only reason i made hydroponics is so i can grow devilstrand all year round but it is not availble to plant there why? if i can't grow devilstrand in hydroponics how should i grow it faster?

[Monoxide]

Make a greenhouse for year round production.

Have a building with temperature control (heaters/coolers) that lets you maintain your plants ideal temp. Then have a sunlamp to provide light; note this takes a lot of power so plan for that. Boom. Year round devilstrand.

Alternatively, you can plant a HUGE field early spring and just leave it until it finishes.

[Breakingzap]

ok but how do i power the sun lamps they take wayyyyyy to much power for my wimpy solar generators

[Vintorez]

Because the odds that a solar flare or Zzzzt (for some setups) will occur while the Devilstrand is growing is high enough that, on average, you will actually have a smaller yield using hydroponics over fertile soil due to losing the crops.

[Monoxide]

Diversify your power generation.

Early game I usually have a wood burner or two, then 2-6 solar panels and 1-3 wind turbines until I can get geothermal going. A single solar panel can pretty much power a sunlamp on its own, so keep your current build +1 solar panel per sun lamp.

EDIT - you can also remove the roof of your greenhouse and save on power during prime growing seasons. I find this too much of a hassle and keep them running year round.

[BlackSmokeDMax]

Originally posted by breakingzap:

ok but how do i power the sun lamps they take wayyyyyy to much power for my wimpy solar generators

You were going to need that anyway. Plus the power for the hydroponics itself and the heating. With growing in the ground, you can remove all the power and resource needs of the hydroponics basins. So it should be easier to do it in the ground. Just not as fast.

[Breakingzap]

is the chemfuel generator worth anything?

[Khan Boyzitbig of Mercia]

Originally posted by breakingzap:

is the chemfuel generator worth anything?

Same output as the wood generator but iirc the fuel lasts longer. One boomalope will fuel a generator or two.

[Monoxide]

If you have the means, the chemfuel is more efficient as Khan said. Though super early game, you might not have access to chemfuel. If you have some boomalope, its a constant source of power.

[Breakingzap]

i slaughtered all my boomalope because they were eating my devilstrand

[Monoxide]

Zones.

Make an animal zone and keep it away from your crops.

[Breakingzap]

1 solar panel per solar lamp doesnt work i still run out of power

[Monoxide]

Looks like its 2 per. Not sure if they changed the values lately, but I want to say they used to be pretty close. Also possible I am using modded sunlamps - I do have the VGP mods.

They are now 1700W per solar panel and 2900W per sunlamp, meaning 2 solar panels will net you 500W extra power.

The wiki is a great source of information as well. Not 'always' perfect, but it will get you started:
https://rimworldwiki.com/wiki/Solar_generator
https://rimworldwiki.com/wiki/Sun_lamp

[Breakingzap]

ok thanks but what do i do at night?

[BlackSmokeDMax]

Originally posted by breakingzap:

ok thanks but what do i do at night?

Plants don't grow at night without mods.

[AlP]

Originally posted by breakingzap:

i slaughtered all my boomalope because they were eating my devilstrand

Boomalopes are terrible for chemfuel production. Refining chemfuel from crops is a lot more efficient.