Greenhouses - eerussianguy/firmalife GitHub Wiki
Apologies in advance for the lack of detail on this page. I have little time to work on documentation.
The greenhouse is a multiblock that follows a set of rules. There is no theoretical limit to how large a greenhouse can be, given the rules are followed. that said, I have hardcoded a very large limit just to be safe.
There are a few blocks you need to understand in order to make a greenhouse:
The Climate Station
The climate station is the brain of your greenhouse. You'll notice it either appears icy or watery in the front. If your climate station turns to ice, your crops are going to die! The climate station must be placed in the corner of the greenhouse, with the ice/water part facing in the direction the roof slopes up and down.
The climate station randomly updates itself, but if you'd like to force an update, right click it. This also has the effect of 'updating' all greenhouse-related blocks inside.
Climate stations can be upgraded 5 times, sequentially, via crafting:
- Tier 0: The default climate station
- Tier 1: Visualizes the greenhouse's protected region, and the location of incorrect blocks, when right-clicked.
- Tier 2: Planters grow slightly faster
- Tier 3: Enable growing grains in large planters
- Tier 4: Enable growing fruit trees in bonsai pots
- Tier 5: Spouts and Sprinklers get watered automatically
The Greenhouse Wall
The greenhouse wall should make up the sides of your greenhouse. The walls should be 3 high, and form a 'seal' around the greenhouse. A proper greenhouse wall is touching the interior but is not in it, i.e. no part of the block the greenhouse wall is on should be considered indoors. You know you placed it correctly if the walls meet snugly in the corner.
For a greenhouse wall to work as a wall, it needs glass. Right click with some glass panes to fill it up.
The Greenhouse Door
The door can be placed on the front and back walls (where the roof forms its triangle shape). It should be placed flush with the walls around it.
The Greenhouse Roof
The roof should essentially form a staircase leading from one block up and in from the top of the wall, to the top, and then back down. If your roof is an odd number of blocks wide, the top block must be right clicked with a hammer to form a 'slab' block to even the transition. Note that this is required if your roof is an odd number of blocks wide.
Note that planters placed within the roof aren't valid.
Watering Can
The watering can is the only device that will water your planters. to refill it, sit in some water and hold and release right click.
The Quad Planter
The quad planter is what you use to grow food in the greenhouse. It needs to be in a valid greenhouse to function. It will accept these crops: beet, cabbage, carrot, garlic, onion, potato, soybean. Crops in the quad planter will grow as long as you water them regularly and they are in a valid greenhouse. Shift click to take grown crops out.
Note that the quad planter may take a few seconds to update when you right click it. There's nothing I can do about this, sorry.
The Large Planter
The large planter works the same as the quad, but only holds one plant. It will accept these crops: both bell peppers, sugarcane, tomato, jute, and green beans. It will accept grains if you have a tier 3 climate station.
The Hanging Planter
Squash, melon, and pumpkin seeds can be crafted with a greenhouse wall to make a hanging planter. They are meant to be horizontal beams going across the top of your greenhouse, anchoring on each wall. Hanging planters don't have to be watered, and will regularly produce food as long as the greenhouse is valid
Trellises
Trellises are used for bushes. Craft a trellis block with a bush to get started. Place it on the ground in your greenhouse. In 30 days, it will grow fruit. This can be harvested. If you wait 20 more days, leaving the fruit on the bush, it will grow vertically if there's an empty trellis to grow into.
You can then shift right click to remove the new bush, or leave it to grow some more.
Bonsai Pots
Bonsai Pots grow fruit trees. Craft a large planter with a sapling, and let it go. You need a Tier 4 climate station in order for it to work. These give 3 fruit on harvest, but grow much slower.
Spouts and Sprinklers
Spouts and Sprinklers are your tools for automatic watering of planters. They require a barrel of fresh water (or if playing with other mods, some kind of tank or pipe). Spouts will only water the block in the column below, up to a few blocks below. Sprinklers will water a 5x5 area around, centered on the sprinkler. You can tell if it's working by the particle effect. Tier 5 climate stations will remove the need to supply it with water.