DayZ isn’t typically the game you’d associate with growing crops. Most players likely use this feature too infrequently. However, we think that gardening can be worthwhile and perfect for players who prefer to set up a small base and be self-sufficient. Surprisingly, the whole concept is quite complex, so you really have to make sure your crops grow well and are always well taken care of. Sure, it’s not Stardew Valley, but gardening in DayZ can be a lot of fun!
Perfect Gardening Locations in DayZ
Gardening is most rewarding when you set up fields in a permanent base. You can always return there, and there won’t be other players to steal your vegetables or ruin your fields. We’ve already written a complete post about building your own base, if you want to learn more about it (Your Ultimate Guide: Successfully Building Bases in DayZ) . It’s best to choose a location with enough space for fields, maybe even a greenhouse! These are particularly useful if you want to grow crops.
You can set up fields anywhere with sufficient soil. Both regular fields and greenhouses provide you with nine slots to plant vegetables. If you’re playing alone, this should be more than enough. With friends, you can create more beds so that everyone is always well-fed.
Necessary Tools and Materials for Your Garden
But you can’t set up fields with your bare hands. There are also many other tools in DayZ that make gardening much easier. Before you start, you should gather everything you need.
Shovel/Pickaxe/Hoe: All three tools can be used to set up fields in the soil or till the earth in a greenhouse. Simply hold down the mouse button and you’ll create the bed. The outline will be displayed as a blueprint.
Garden Lime: Lime serves as a fertilizer and gives you a bigger harvest. It’s worth searching for and using these bags. You can also fertilize with old plant material.
Water Container: Naturally, your crops need water. You can rely on rain, but also water them yourself. Whether plastic bottles, pots, or old canisters, you can use various containers for watering.
Disinfectant Spray: Pests exist in DayZ too, so you should protect your plants sufficiently. You need appropriate repellent spray, which you can also find in the world. Spray the plant to prevent it from rotting and not yielding any harvest.
Best Vegetable Varieties for Growing in DayZ
Of course, you’ll also need seeds to grow your crops. In DayZ, there are five different vegetable varieties you can cultivate. Seeds are scattered throughout the world, so if you want to engage in gardening, make sure to collect them. We’ll show you a trick later on how to get endless seeds!
Tomato: Tomatoes have a relatively short growth cycle of just over half an hour. They yield about seven to fifteen tomatoes per plant. They may not be nutrient-rich, but their quantity is impressive.
Green Pepper: Peppers take three-quarters of an hour and yield three to nine pieces. They aren’t the best, but also not the worst vegetable.
Pumpkin: For pumpkins, you need to wait almost an hour, but you can harvest four to ten fruits. Additionally, they are the only crop whose seeds you can obtain without consuming the fruit itself. However, they take up a lot of inventory space.
Potato: Depending on the fertilizer, you get three to nine potatoes. As in real life, you don’t need seeds here; you can replant the potatoes themselves. Their growth phase also takes an hour.
Zucchini: Zucchinis grow the fastest, but they only yield two to five vegetables per plant. However, they have good nutritional values and are practical for your adventures in DayZ.
Step-by-Step Guide for Gardening in DayZ
Finally, let’s look at a compact step-by-step guide on how to set up, maintain, and harvest your own garden with a bed in DayZ. This way, you’ll have all the important points at a glance and can manage your own fields next time.
Greenhouse or Suitable Location: Find either a greenhouse or a suitable location to set up your field. Use a shovel, pickaxe, or hoe to till the soil. Whether a bed or a greenhouse, this creates nine small indentations for the later plants.
Place Seeds: If you’ve found seeds, you can now place them in the respective holes. You have to do this individually, and you can also mix different vegetable varieties. Whether monoculture or not, it doesn’t affect the bed, growth, or harvest.
Water Plants: To ensure your plants grow, you need to water them. Use a container that can hold enough water. A nearby well is, of course, very practical! Again, you must water each plant individually until small wooden sticks sprout from the ground. These indicate that the plant has enough water.
Fertilize and Protect: Once the first buds have sprouted, you can treat the plant with additional aids. You can use both garden lime and old plant residues as fertilizer. Both have the same effect. Lime is recognized by the white spots in the soil and plant residues by the mulch around the plant. You should then spray them to prevent pests.
Harvest: You can harvest the crops after a certain period. In the meantime, they go through several stages that you can observe. But only when your cursor indicates “Gather” can you harvest the vegetables. They are then either stored in your inventory or on the ground.
Obtain Seeds: After a successful harvest, you can pull out the plant and use it as fertilizer. With a knife, you can obtain seeds from the remaining vegetables and use them for further beds. This way, you can practically sustain yourself and get endless seeds!
Conclusion on Gardening in DayZ
Gardening can be a lot of fun in DayZ, even though the game isn’t necessarily designed for it. But once you have a secure base, you can easily set up some beds and plant a few vegetables. It’s exciting to watch the plants grow and take care of them with fertilizers and pesticides. Rent one of our DayZ servers and set up fields with your friends, so you’ll never have to go hungry again!
