Underground farming help

[Floyyd]

I'm in the mountains right now ad elevation 40, nowhere near me underground seems to be soil. Do I have to dig all the way to negative elevation before I start seeing soil or something? Would it just be better to farm above ground?

[kheftel]

Did it say there were soil layers on the embark screen? If there are, they'll be close to the surface. Once you discover the caverns, it's also possible to farm there

[Tarithel]

you can force the ground to mud by setting a zone for dwarves to empty buckets of water and then farm there

[TheBlade1]

Irrigate underground with water

[Floyyd]

Originally posted by kheftel:

Did it say there were soil layers on the embark screen? If there are, they'll be close to the surface. Once you discover the caverns, it's also possible to farm there

It did say little or some soil, cant remember. So if I keep digging it should appear? Caverns are super deep, correct?

[Floyyd]

Originally posted by Tarithel:

you can force the ground to mud by setting a zone for dwarves to empty buckets of water and then farm there

Oh cool! How would I do that, just dump water on every single square I plan on putting a farm plot, or is just having a square or water nearby enough?

[kheftel]

Originally posted by Floyyd:

Originally posted by kheftel:

Did it say there were soil layers on the embark screen? If there are, they'll be close to the surface. Once you discover the caverns, it's also possible to farm there

It did say little or some soil, cant remember. So if I keep digging it should appear? Caverns are super deep, correct?

Little or some soil refers to surface layers, so there should be some kind of soil somewhere near the surface on your map.

Caverns are quite deep, yeah, and are another option.

Also there's the option where you flood stone with water, let it dry, and it leaves mud you can farm in, but that's more complicated.

[Gerustroncio]

Originally posted by Floyyd:

Originally posted by Tarithel:

you can force the ground to mud by setting a zone for dwarves to empty buckets of water and then farm there

Oh cool! How would I do that, just dump water on every single square I plan on putting a farm plot, or is just having a square or water nearby enough?

The way I used to do it when necessary was to divert water from a pond, river or something, by just channeling and digging, then let it flood a bit on a stone floor chamber I'd prepared.

Already having a block on the ready to plug the hole before it got out of control heh, you can also use a door.

I never used to bucket method,here's the wiki explanation[www.dwarffortresswiki.org]

[Naerth / Sally]

Originally posted by kheftel:

Originally posted by Floyyd:

It did say little or some soil, cant remember. So if I keep digging it should appear? Caverns are super deep, correct?

Little or some soil refers to surface layers, so there should be some kind of soil somewhere near the surface on your map.

Caverns are quite deep, yeah, and are another option.

Also there's the option where you flood stone with water, let it dry, and it leaves mud you can farm in, but that's more complicated.

The way I do it is to dig a pit and the dwarves can access and then set the Pit as a pond, and dwarves will fill the pit with water. after It becomes mud, i believe you can stop turning it into a pond.

[Узник Узбекистана]

In current version farming on mud/soil provides litle plants. Caverns soil are best. Try to find one of the caverns, find a good flat place and quickly wall it off

[Floyyd]

Originally posted by Naerth / Sally:

Originally posted by kheftel:

Little or some soil refers to surface layers, so there should be some kind of soil somewhere near the surface on your map.

Caverns are quite deep, yeah, and are another option.

Also there's the option where you flood stone with water, let it dry, and it leaves mud you can farm in, but that's more complicated.

The way I do it is to dig a pit and the dwarves can access and then set the Pit as a pond, and dwarves will fill the pit with water. after It becomes mud, i believe you can stop turning it into a pond.

Thats exactly what I discovered :)

[Floyyd]

Originally posted by Emperor of Mars:

In current version farming on mud/soil provides litle plants. Caverns soil are best. Try to find one of the caverns, find a good flat place and quickly wall it off

Will do! Yea I've always been scared of caverns but walling off as soon as possible is a good idea! Nothing can destroy walls, correct? Only doors and hatchways can be damaged?

[Andy Mil]

I have dig to like lv 15 to found 1. Tho careful there flood of all kind of creature. It EVEN DROWN MY DWARF WORKING DOWN THERE. I swear I already block all kind of passage for any kind of creature to get through yet they are swarming my fortress. I also rushing for magma forge too but wanted these land to farm better. So no noble no army stuff

[Узник Узбекистана]

Originally posted by Floyyd:

Originally posted by Emperor of Mars:

In current version farming on mud/soil provides litle plants. Caverns soil are best. Try to find one of the caverns, find a good flat place and quickly wall it off

Will do! Yea I've always been scared of caverns but walling off as soon as possible is a good idea! Nothing can destroy walls, correct? Only doors and hatchways can be damaged?

Doors, hatches, grates, metal bars can be destroyed, but only from the same z-level. Floodgates and bridges when closed act as constructed wall and can't be destroyed.

[Floyyd]

Originally posted by Mil:

I have dig to like lv 15 to found 1. Tho careful there flood of all kind of creature. It EVEN DROWN MY DWARF WORKING DOWN THERE. I swear I already block all kind of passage for any kind of creature to get through yet they are swarming my fortress. I also rushing for magma forge too but wanted these land to farm better. So no noble no army stuff

oh man, I know the creatures can be tricky bastards. I was watching a stream and learned they can climb up your well! Maybe it's that, or the like? Some creatures can crawl, so smoothing the walls will prevent them from doing so. (if that is indeed your issue). Creatures and dwarfs (and fluid) can also move through diagonal spaces, so make sure there are no diagonal gaps!

[dgresevfan]

Please note that sand counts as soil.