Farming tip: 3 Row grow areas

[GrenadesAndHamm]

I've been using three row grow areas to maximize the efficiency of sowing and harvesting, and it works very well.

Basically, your grow area should be a long three row strip. Because the colonists harvest the area in front, left and right of them, the efficiency of this method is incredible. With the three row grow area method, they start at one end and quickly move to the other when both sowing and harvesting wasting no effort.

For a large block square, they randomly harvest in that same manner taking them all around the grow area in an inefficient way.

I typically have a one line bare area between each crop for a couple different reasons. First, it's a nice area to have while moving so it doesn't significantly slow down your colonists. Second, if you plant one main crop (rice in all of them, for example), blight doesn't seem to jump as quickly when there is separation. Of course, if you plant next to each other in three rows, I believe blight doesn't jump between different crops so you can just stagger your crops.

I basically looks like this on a base, R being Rice, B being bare or no crop planted:

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Sindri Myr]

Hmm I'll have to try this out I have noticed that the pawns do plant and harvest drunkenly all over so maybe this will help.

[CrazyOdd]

The downside is that they might decide to walk down the row between instead. So unless thats something they cant stand on, you might still lose some efficency.

[GrenadesAndHamm]

Originally posted by CrazyOdd:

The downside is that they might decide to walk down the row between instead. So unless thats something they cant stand on, you might still lose some efficency.

Typically seen them start at the middle and work their way down. I don't see that happening in my play through.

[GrenadesAndHamm]

Originally posted by Sindri Myr:

Hmm I'll have to try this out I have noticed that the pawns do plant and harvest drunkenly all over so maybe this will help.

I just tested this for harvesting, and on a 5x6 block, it took the colonist just over 38 seconds at normal speed. The same colonist took between 31-32 seconds on a 3x10 block.

That's a pretty small area, so if you have a long row compared to a big field, that's a substantial difference for harvesting.

[CrazyOdd]

Originally posted by GrenadesAndHamm:

Originally posted by CrazyOdd:

The downside is that they might decide to walk down the row between instead. So unless thats something they cant stand on, you might still lose some efficency.

Typically seen them start at the middle and work their way down. I don't see that happening in my play through.

It might depend on how many farmers you have.

[GrenadesAndHamm]

Originally posted by CrazyOdd:

Originally posted by GrenadesAndHamm:

Typically seen them start at the middle and work their way down. I don't see that happening in my play through.

It might depend on how many farmers you have.

It has nothing to do with the amount of farmers.

It has to do with how the colonist sows and harvests. Whether you have 10 or 1 is irrelevant.