Rimworld: Hydroponics Layout [Explained With Images]

While there’s no such thing as a perfect RimWorld hydroponics layout, there is an optimal arrangement that utilizes all of the space available to you while also minimizing wasted blocks. Many players probably have their own layouts that work well for them, but this one is, without a doubt, the one that gives you the most bang for your buck.

What Are Hydroponics In RimWorld?

In RimWorld, hydroponics offers an indoor farming method, ideal for mountain colonies lacking sunlight and fertile soil. Use Hydroponics Basins for faster plant growth, but they demand substantial steel, and constant electricity.

Unlocking hydroponics is easy after a few hours, but consider regular farming initially. Prioritize colony foundations and conventional farming until facing frequent enemy attacks, then swiftly transition to hydroponics.

How To Unlock Hydroponics Basin

In order to get to the hydroponics layout you desire, first begin researching Electricity in the Research tab. This requires you to first construct a research bench and then designate at least one colonist to begin working on it. Unfortunately, you cannot right-click to prioritize this task for someone since it is a long-term endeavor. All you can do is wait until it’s complete.

Once the research on Electricity has finished, you will gain access to a bunch of new research projects like Hydroponics and Batteries. I highly recommend that you go ahead and complete Battery first since it will allow you to construct batteries.

This is useful because you don’t have a lot of steady sources of power in the early game, and batteries will store any and all power you generate. So when there does comes a time when there is no sunlight or wind, the batteries will have enough juice to keep your Hydroponics Basins running.

Similar Article: How To Farm Life Fruit In Terraria.

The Optimal Hydroponics Layout

Now, for the sake of convenience, I’m going to assume that it is currently a growing season in your game. In that situation, the image seen below is perfect for your crops. But if that’s not the case, you may have to install equipment like heaters to bring the temperature down to where crops can actually grow.

Plants require a temperature within the 10 °C – 42 °C range for them to grow properly. Once that requirement has been met, you can proceed forward.

The pattern seen below is the optimal hydroponics layout with the least amount of wasted space from my experience.  

Place the Hydroponics Basins exactly as seen above and ensure that they all have access to a Power Conduit. Once that’s done, designate the entire thing as a Growing Zone and select which crop you want to plant. Also, make sure that colonists with proficiency in the plant skills are set to work in the area.

Similar Article: The Best Crops To Grow In Stardew Valley.

For reference, the button in the image below is how you choose your favored crop.

Once all of these steps have been completed, your plants should start growing indoors at around twice the speed than they would in regular rich soil. Now, you also don’t have to ever worry about your colonists getting attacked. This has been eXputer’s RimWorld Hydroponics Layout guide.