Growing Plants

## Effects of plants

The different effects of plants are: **attracting pollinators** (pollinated flowering/fruiting plants will benefit from a productivity bonus), **fixing nitrogen** (fertilizes the soil), **weed control** which decreases competition (productivity bonus) , **pest repellent** (repels pests that decrease productivity), and **climbing plant support** (bonus for climbing plants like soybeans)

### The 3 Sisters

Native Americans knew these benefits well, and planted corn, peas/beans, and squash close together. Peas (soybeans in game) fertilize the soil, corn provides support for them to climb, and squashes (watermelon) control weeds with their broad leaves.

## Irrigation

Most plants need to be watered every other day or they will die. This can be done manually (watering can), via an automatic watering system, by a drone, or when it rains. Some plants have a genetic defect that makes them more sensitive to lack of water. A single day without being watered will kill them immediately. Other plants may have a protective gene, so they will survive dormancy no matter how long the drought lasts.

## Fertilizers and soil quality

Plants use the nutrients available in the soil in order to grow. With each harvest, the soil is impoverished. Poor soil will result in reduced harvests. Nutrients can be returned to the soil via chemical fertilizers, but their effect is temporary (1 harvest). Some plants such as soy provide bacteria that fix nitrogen from the air, which fertilizes the surrounding soil (2 harvests). Finally, compost is composed of organic matter rich in nitrogen and carbon, as well as bacteria and fungi which will allow continuous fertilization for a long period (3 harvests).

It is also possible to leave an area fallow, after ten days the soil recovers half its nutrients (1 harvest) and after 15 days in full (2 harvests).

Compost can be purchased or made using a composter. With a composter, it is interesting to try to balance the quantity of Nitrogen and Carbon (respectively, green matter and brown matter). If balanced the compost will heat up and be ready twice as fast. You can also accelerate the formation of compost by adding a mixture of bokashi bacteria, which will allow anaerobic degradation of organic matter.

Animal manure is a great source of nitrogen for composting.

## Temperature and light.

Some plants prefer coolness, others like heat. It is therefore necessary to take the seasons into account when choosing what to plant. In spring and fall, which are cool seasons, you can still grow heat-loving plants using a greenhouse, a polytunnel, or growing them indoors with heating and lighting.

In summer, it is possible to grow plants that prefer to cool indoors with an air conditioning system and lighting.

## Pot cultures and hydroponics

Rather than growing in the ground, one can choose to grow in pots (placed outside, in greenhouses, or inside), in **hydroponics** (the roots are in a mixture of water and nutrients) which eliminates the need for fertilizing or watering. **Aeroponics** is similar to hydroponics except that the nutrient mixture is sprayed at regular intervals which gives more oxygen to the roots that are in the air, for a higher yield. **Aquaponics** consists of using nutrients from an aquarium, thus harvesting both fish (or crustaceans) and plants. Pots and hydroponic systems can be placed outdoors, in greenhouses or indoors (with a light source).