Project Zomboid Farming (Build 42)

How crops grow

1. Stages. A crop grows one stage every growth time hours (each crop's own number, ± up to 12 hours of chance per stage). Vegetables are ready at its harvest stage; one stage later — or the same stage for the grains — it bears seeds, and after that it rots. So the harvest day is harvest stage × growth time ÷ 24. The Tomato Vine grows a stage every 360 hours and is ready at stage 6: 6 × 360 = 2160 hours, about 90 days.
2. Water. When a stage ends the game compares the soil's water with the crop's need. At or above it, the plant grows on time; up to 10% short, the next stage is late by the shortfall in hours; up to 30% short, it does not grow for 30 hours; further short, it does not grow for 50 hours and loses health. For the Tomato Vine (needs 70%): on time at 70%+, late from 63%, stalled from 53%, harmed below that. Rain waters outdoor crops.
3. Seasons. Sowing outside a crop's sow months makes it cursed. In a risky month the chance is (11 − Farming level) in 20; in its best month there is a (9 + Farming level) in 20 chance of a bonus harvest, and the plant starts healthier. Outdoors in a bad month — or in winter for anything but the 9 cold-hardy crops (Barley, Cabbages, Flax, Garlic, Kale, Leek, Rye, Wild Garlic, Winter Wheat) — the plant turns cursed. A cursed plant loses health twice as fast when it is short of water or sick, and weeds on its tile double that again.
4. Yield. The harvest is a roll between the crop's two yield numbers, each raised by 1 for every 10 points of plant health over 50 and capped at the crop's maximum (one more with a bonus harvest). Each 10 levels of aphids and of slugs takes one off. At Farming level N there is an N-in-10 chance to add N. You always get at least one.
5. Regrowing crops. 17 crops (Basil, Chamomile, Chives, Cilantro, Kale, Lavender, Lemongrass, Marigold, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Poppies, Rosemary, Roses, Sage, Strawberry Plant, Thyme) drop back to an earlier stage after a harvest instead of being used up; the “Regrows” column is the wait for the next harvest. Harvesting a flower lowers unhappiness, boredom and stress by half the number picked.

Pests and disease

Plants catch mildew, aphids, flies and slugs, and pass them to the crops next to them; a sick plant with weeds passes them on twice. Only mildew slows growth: under 10 it is harmless, from 10 it delays each stage by its level in hours, from 30 the plant stops growing and at 60 it dies. Aphids and slugs cost yield instead — one vegetable per 10 levels of each.

Some crops keep a pest away from themselves and, once they reach stage 3, from the crops beside them — the game's companion planting:

• aphids
  Chives, Garlic, Leek, Lemongrass, Marigold, Onions, Rosemary, Thyme, Wild Garlic
• flies
  Basil, Marigold, Onions, Rosemary, Sage
• slugs
  Lemongrass, Rosemary

Slug-proof (never infested by slugs, but no shield for neighbours): Chives, Cilantro, Garlic, Green Peas, Leek, Onions, Oregano, Parsley, Potatoes, Radishes, Tomato Vine, Wild Garlic.

Seeds

• Seed packets open into 5 seeds each; 55 crops have one. The “Seeds from” column names the rooms whose loot lists hold the packet or the seed, and its map link rings them.
• Foraging. 42 crops grow wild, and a forage find of one can come with its seeds; the chance and the most seeds are in the “Seeds from” column.
• Harvesting a seed-bearing plant gives seeds: half the vegetables picked, rounded down, at least one (seedPerVeg 0.5 — no crop sets its own).
• No building loot list and no seed-giving forage find holds seeds for Lavender in Build 42.21.

Where to farm and find tools

The map's farming layers: farms, farming and garden stores, barns and scarecrows. Each card opens that layer on the map; for seed packets use the item finder links in the crop table.

• Farms79 on the map
• Farming stores9 on the map
• Garden & camping20 on the map
• Barns & stables195 on the map
• Scarecrows114 on the map