Small Garden

Small Garden is a cultivation building that lets Ratopia residents plant seeds from the colony’s inventory and grow crops in a controlled setting. It works much like wild plants, but is especially useful for keeping production close to the city, reducing hauling distance compared with gathering from natural sources. Plants grown in Small Gardens do not require special soil or environmental conditions, so they can be placed underground or anywhere else.

Harvested plants are not fully removed; they return to 33% growth, allowing them to regrow for the next harvest. The listed growth times below are the time needed to reach full maturity, and the “work to harvest” value is the labor required to collect the finished crop.

• Grain Seed produces 2 Grain in 12.5 hours, with 35 work to harvest.
• Grass Seed produces 2 Grass in 4 hours, with 25 work to harvest.
• Flower Seed produces 2 Flower in 10 hours, with 30 work to harvest.
• Spore produces 2 Cave Mushroom in 12.5 hours, with 30 work to harvest.
• Cactus Seed produces 2 Cactus in 12.5 hours, with 35 work to harvest.
• Pyroblossom Seed produces 2 Niter in 12.5 hours, with 50 work to harvest.
• Papyrus Seed produces 2 Papyrus in 12.5 hours, with 35 work to harvest.

Like natural plants, Small Garden crops stop growing during winter. In practice, this means it is a stable year-round farming option only outside the winter season, so players should plan stockpiles and production around the seasonal pause.