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Farming Guide - Rust Wiki

Rust Guide • Updated Jan 10, 2026

Rust: Complete Farming Guide

Farming in Rust provides sustainable food sources, cloth production, and valuable resources for crafting. Understanding crop genetics, irrigation, and fertilization is essential for maximizing yields. This guide covers everything from basic hemp farming to advanced genetic breeding and automated systems.

Farmable Crops

Crop Primary Use Growth Time Yield
Hemp Cloth production 40-60 minutes 10-30 cloth per plant
Corn Food (high calories) 60-90 minutes 3-8 corn per plant
Pumpkin Food (hydration + calories) 60-90 minutes 2-6 pumpkins per plant
Potato Food (balanced nutrition) 50-80 minutes 4-10 potatoes per plant
Berry Food, radiation pills 30-50 minutes 5-15 berries per bush

Getting Started with Farming

Essential Tools & Materials

🌱 Seeds

Collect from wild plants or clone from existing crops. Each plant type has unique genetics.

🚰 Water

Essential for growth. Use water catchers, rivers, or irrigation systems.

💩 Fertilizer

Speeds growth and improves yield. Craft from compost or animal fat.

🌾 Planters

Small, Medium, or Large planters for organized farming. Larger planters = better yields.

Planter Types

Planter Capacity Cost Best For
Small Planter 6 plants 100 Wood, 50 Frags Starter farms, limited space
Medium Planter 9 plants 200 Wood, 100 Frags Balanced farming
Large Planter 12 plants 300 Wood, 150 Frags Maximum yield, dedicated farms

Crop Genetics System

Understanding Genes

Each plant has six genetic traits that affect growth, yield, and hardiness:

Gene (G, Y, H, W, X) Effect Optimal Value
Growth (G) Speed of maturation High (faster harvests)
Yield (Y) Amount of resources per harvest High (more cloth/food)
Hardiness (H) Resistance to poor conditions Medium-High (stability)
Water (W) Water consumption rate Low (less maintenance)
Crossbreed (X) Ability to pass genes to offspring High (better breeding)

Selective Breeding

Improve your crops over multiple generations:

  1. Harvest Seeds: Collect seeds from mature plants (shows genetic info)
  2. Select Best Genes: Choose seeds with high G, Y, and H values
  3. Plant & Clone: Plant best seeds and use cloning to preserve genetics
  4. Crossbreed: Plant different varieties near each other to create hybrids
  5. Iterate: Repeat process over 3-5 generations for optimal crops

Pro Tip: Use the "Clone" option on your best plants to create identical copies. This preserves perfect genetics without relying on crossbreeding RNG.

Irrigation Systems

Water Sources

  • Manual Watering: Use water bucket or jug (tedious, not recommended)
  • Water Catchers: Collect rainwater automatically
  • Sprinklers: Automated watering system (requires electricity)
  • Rivers/Lakes: Place planters near natural water sources

Sprinkler Setup

The most efficient watering system for large farms:

Solar Panel → Battery → Splitter → Sprinklers
                                  ↓
                            Water Catcher

Sprinkler Coverage

Sprinkler Type Coverage Water Consumption Power Required
Basic Sprinkler 3x3 area 5 water/min 1 power
Advanced Sprinkler 5x5 area 10 water/min 2 power

Fertilizer Guide

Fertilizer Types

🌿 Compost

Crafting: 10 Cloth + 5 Food items

Effect: +20% growth speed, +10% yield

💀 Animal Fat

Source: Hunting animals

Effect: +30% growth speed, +15% yield

🧪 Advanced Fertilizer

Crafting: 20 Cloth + 10 Animal Fat + 5 Sulfur

Effect: +50% growth speed, +25% yield

Fertilizer Application

  • Timing: Apply immediately after planting for best results
  • Stacking: Multiple fertilizer applications stack (diminishing returns)
  • Efficiency: Use advanced fertilizer only on high-value crops (hemp, corn)

Hemp Farming (Cloth Production)

Why Farm Hemp?

  • Cloth Demand: Essential for clothing, sleeping bags, and bandages
  • High Yield: Optimized hemp plants produce 30+ cloth per harvest
  • Fast Growth: With good genetics, harvest every 40 minutes
  • Sustainability: Never run out of cloth for crafting

Optimal Hemp Farm Setup

For maximum cloth production:

  1. Planters: 4-6 Large Planters (48-72 hemp plants)
  2. Irrigation: 2-3 Sprinklers powered by solar + battery
  3. Genetics: Breed for high Y (yield) and G (growth)
  4. Fertilizer: Advanced fertilizer on all plants
  5. Harvest Cycle: Every 40-60 minutes = 1,000+ cloth per cycle

Hemp Genetics Priority

Gene Target Value Why
Yield (Y) 80-100% More cloth per plant
Growth (G) 70-90% Faster harvest cycles
Hardiness (H) 50-70% Survives poor conditions
Water (W) 20-40% Less water consumption

Food Farming Strategies

Pumpkin Farming (Best Food Source)

Pumpkins provide both calories and hydration:

  • Calories: 60 per pumpkin
  • Hydration: 30 per pumpkin
  • Yield: 4-6 pumpkins per plant with good genetics
  • Growth Time: 60-90 minutes

Corn Farming (High Calories)

Best for pure calorie production:

  • Calories: 100 per corn
  • Yield: 5-8 corn per plant
  • Cooking: Can be cooked for +20% calories

Balanced Diet Farm

Recommended crop distribution for self-sufficiency:

Crop Planters Purpose
Pumpkin 2 Primary food + hydration
Corn 1 High-calorie backup
Potato 1 Balanced nutrition
Hemp 4 Cloth production

Advanced Farming Techniques

Automated Harvest System

Use electricity to create a semi-automated farm:

  • Sprinklers: Automated watering on timers
  • Lights: Grow lights for indoor farms (24/7 growth)
  • Alarms: HBHF sensors to detect when crops are ready
  • Storage: Auto-sort harvested items into boxes

Indoor Farming

Protect your farm from raiders and weather:

  1. Build Enclosed Room: Stone or metal walls to prevent griefing
  2. Install Grow Lights: Ceiling lights provide artificial sunlight
  3. Climate Control: Maintain optimal temperature and humidity
  4. Security: Auto turrets to defend farm from raiders

Warning: Indoor farms require significant power. Ensure you have 2-3 solar panels and batteries to support grow lights and sprinklers.

Rooftop Farming

Maximize space by farming on your base roof:

  • Advantages: Hard to raid, good sunlight, space-efficient
  • Disadvantages: Exposed to weather, requires strong roof support
  • Setup: Place planters on flat roof sections, add sprinklers

Common Farming Mistakes

Mistake Why It's Bad How to Fix
Ignoring Genetics Low yields and slow growth Breed crops over 3-5 generations for optimal genes
Manual Watering Time-consuming and inefficient Install sprinklers with water catchers
No Fertilizer 50% slower growth and lower yields Always use at least compost on all crops
Outdoor Farms Only Vulnerable to raids and weather Build enclosed or rooftop farms for security
Planting Too Close Crossbreeding ruins genetics Separate different crop types by 2+ foundations

Farming Economics

Cloth Value

Optimized hemp farm produces 1,000+ cloth per hour:

  • Sleeping Bags: 30 cloth each (33 bags per harvest)
  • Bandages: 4 cloth each (250 bandages per harvest)
  • Clothing: 50-100 cloth per set
  • Trade Value: Cloth is highly valuable for trading with other players

Food Self-Sufficiency

A balanced farm eliminates the need to hunt or scavenge:

  • Daily Calories: 500-800 calories needed per player
  • Farm Output: 2,000+ calories per harvest cycle
  • Surplus: Trade excess food for scrap or resources

Build sustainable farms and never run out of resources. Host your Rust server with Supercraft for custom farming rates and crop genetics.

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