How to Make Hydroponics in RimWorld (1.6)

RimWorld 1.6.4871 Grow Tool

Hydroponics Layout + Power Sun lamp packing · basin watts · flare survival
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How to Make Hydroponics in RimWorld (1.6)

Research Hydroponics, drop a sun lamp, pack 20–24 basins in an ~11×11 grow footprint, plant rice first, and budget ~4300–4580W daytime for 20–24 basins + lamp. Solar flares kill the whole electric farm unless you keep non-electric backup food.

Do this in order
  1. Unlock Electricity (sun lamp) then Hydroponics (basins).
  2. Center one sun lamp; pack basins under the grow overlay (~5.8 radius).
  3. Leave a walk aisle. Aim 20 basins for easier power, 24 for max yield.
  4. Plant rice (3 days). Skip corn — it is ground-only.
  5. Size generators for daytime peak. Batteries do not save you in a flare.
Open power planner See layout Failure FAQ

Build checklist

What you place and unlock

Sun lamps need Electricity. Basins need Hydroponics. Both die without power — unpowered basins kill the plants sitting in them.

Sun lamp

2900W while on. Grow overlay radius 5.8 (client specialDisplayRadius; wiki often rounds to 5.5). Overlight 7.0, glow 14. Heat output 3/s — vent or cool the room if you stack lamps.

Hydroponics basin

70W always. Size 1×4. Fertility 2.8. Default crop is rice. Build cost 100 steel and 1 component. Plants die if power cuts.

Lamp steel40
Basin steel100 + 1 component
Rice growDays3 (hydro yes)
Night lampOff (basins still draw)

Interactive planner

Hydroponics power planner

Dial basin count and extra lamps. Daytime watts include every sun lamp. Night watts drop the lamps (schedule off) and leave only basins. Generator counts are rough ceilings against Core outputs: solar 1700W, chemfuel generator 3600W, wood-fired 1000W.

Daytime W 4580W
Night W 1680W
Lamps total 1
Basin draw 1680W
Sun lamps (day)1 × 2900W = 2900W
Basins (always)24 × 70W = 1680W
Day peak4580W
Night floor1680W

Rice-first tip: leave rice planted until your freeze stockpile is healthy. Three-day cycles under fertility 2.8 refill the fridge faster than potatoes (5.8) while you finish wiring and generators.

Solar (~1700W) 3 Ceil(day peak ÷ 1700)
Chemfuel (~3600W) 2 Ceil(day peak ÷ 3600)
Wood-fired (~1000W) 5 Ceil(day peak ÷ 1000)

Mix sources in practice — solar alone drops at night while basins keep drawing. Geothermal is excellent when you have a steam geyser; treat chemfuel and wood as controllable backups for cloudy stretches, not as flare insurance.

RimWorld hydroponics layout

Pack the ~11×11 grow footprint

One sun lamp owns a circular grow overlay. In practice you fit an ~11×11 work area with the lamp centered, basins filling lit tiles, and a one-tile aisle so growers can sow and haul without pathing through plants.

Placement tips

  • Center the lamp first, then paint basins into the grow overlay.
  • Basins are 1×4 — run them parallel so seams stay tidy.
  • Keep a continuous aisle; broken paths slow every harvest.
  • Doors and coolers sit outside the grow circle when you can.
  • Heat 3/s per lamp — sealed rooms need cooling or vents.

Room shell

  • Wall the farm so temperature stays plant-safe.
  • Cable every basin and the lamp on the same grid.
  • Stock components before you expand past one lamp.
  • On ships: pressurize and power — vacuum still kills plants.
20 basins Day ≈ 4300W (2900 + 1400). Easier generator count, slightly less food per lamp. Best when you are still wiring solar or waiting on chemfuel.
24 basins Day ≈ 4580W (2900 + 1680). Max practical pack under one lamp. Worth it once you can cover the extra 280W without brownouts.

Crop picks

What works in hydro — rice first

Hydroponics multiplies fertility (2.8). Fast crops cash that bonus into meals. Corn will not plant here — save it for fertile dirt outside.

Crop Grow days Hydro? When to plant
Rice 3 Yes · default First crop every new farm. Fastest refill while you stabilize power.
Potato 5.8 Yes After rice stockpile is safe. Solid nutrition with a longer cycle.
Corn 11.3 Ground only Never in basins. Plant on soil / gravel / fertile dirt outdoors.
Other hydro crops Varies If hydro-capable Check the plant info before you commit a full room. Skip anything marked soil-only.

Failure FAQ

When the farm dies overnight

Solar flare disables ALL electricity. Batteries do not keep lamps or basins running. Plants in unpowered basins die — keep pemmican, packaged survival meals, or outdoor dirt farms as non-electric backup.
Solar flare wiped my hydro — what now?

Nothing electric runs during the flare, including batteries feeding the grid. Harvest whatever is already mature before the outage if you can, then ride it out on stored food and outdoor soil. Rebuild power first; replant rice after the grid is stable. See solar flare survival tricks.

Power cut killed every plant. Why?

Hydroponics basins need continuous power. Cut the cable, brown out the grid, or lose the generator, and the plants in those basins die. Treat the farm like a freezer circuit — redundant generation and careful switching.

Why won’t corn plant in my basins?

Corn is ground-only (11.3 growDays on soil). It will not accept a hydroponics basin. Use rice or potato in hydro; keep corn on fertile outdoor plots.

Can I farm on a gravship deck?

Deck substructure fertility is 0, so ground crops fail. Hydroponics can work if the room stays powered and pressurized — plants still die in vacuum. For vacuum math only, use the oxygen pump tool.

Room overheating under the lamp?

Each sun lamp dumps heat at 3/s while lit. Seal a small room with 24 basins and you will cook seedlings without coolers or open vents. Pair the farm with a freezer build so harvests do not rot on the shelf.