Crop Rotation Guide
A seasonal planting calendar to maximize food yield, prevent soil depletion, and keep your colony fed through every winter.
Why Crop Rotation Matters
In Going Medieval, soil fertility degrades when the same crop is planted repeatedly in the same tile. Each harvest reduces fertility by a small percentage, and once fertility drops below a crop's minimum threshold, that crop will no longer grow there. Rotating between different crop types — especially alternating between heavy feeders (cabbage, beet, barley) and light feeders (herbs, flax, redcurrant) — lets soil recover naturally.
Without rotation, you will notice declining yields starting around year two. By year three, entire fields may become barren. A good rotation schedule maintains 80-90% of optimal fertility indefinitely.
Seasonal Planting Calendar
| Season | Best Crops | Days to Harvest | Yield per Tile | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 🌱 | Cabbage, Beet, Barley | 5-8 days | High | Start with cabbage — fastest growth, highest early yield. Follow with beet for variety. Plant barley last for brewing stock. |
| Summer ☀️ | Carrot, Herbs, Flax | 4-7 days | Medium | Summer is your recovery season. Plant light feeders (herbs, flax) on fields that grew heavy feeders in spring. Carrots grow fast in heat. |
| Autumn 🍂 | Redcurrant, Beet, Barley | 6-10 days | Medium-High | Critical season — this is your last chance to stockpile before winter. Redcurrant stores well and provides food variety. Harvest everything by day 3 of autumn. |
| Winter ❄️ | Nothing grows outdoors | — | 0 | Fields freeze. Rely entirely on stored food. Research underground growing for winter production. |
The 3-Field Rotation System
Divide your farmland into three equal zones and rotate annually:
| Year | Field A | Field B | Field C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Heavy Feeders (Cabbage/Beet) | Medium Feeders (Barley/Carrot) | Fallow (Recovery) |
| Year 2 | Medium Feeders (Barley/Carrot) | Fallow (Recovery) | Heavy Feeders (Cabbage/Beet) |
| Year 3 | Fallow (Recovery) | Heavy Feeders (Cabbage/Beet) | Medium Feeders (Barley/Carrot) |
A fallow field does not mean unused — plant herbs or flax on fallow fields. These light feeders pull minimal nutrients while still producing useful resources. Alternatively, use fallow fields for grazing animals to naturally fertilize the soil.
Soil Fertility Management
How Fertility Works
Each soil tile has a fertility value from 0-100%. Heavy feeders consume ~5% per harvest. Medium feeders consume ~3%. Light feeders consume ~1%. Fallow tiles recover ~2% per season. Rich soil (dark brown patches on the map) starts at 90% and is your most valuable farmland — protect it carefully.
Fertilizer Options
Animal manure from tamed livestock (pigs, cows, goats) passively fertilizes nearby soil tiles. Place animal pens adjacent to or overlapping with your farmland for passive fertility regeneration. Composting spoiled food and plant matter at a Compost Bin (unlocked in research) produces fertilizer that restores 15-20% fertility to a targeted tile.
Emergency Recovery
If a field drops below 30% fertility, do not attempt to recover it with rotation alone — it will take 2+ years. Instead, convert that field to an animal pen for one year, then compost heavily before replanting. A season of heavy composting (3-4 applications) restores a depleted field faster than any other method.
Winter Preparation Checklist
| Task | Deadline | Minimum Stockpile |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest all fields | Autumn Day 3 | Everything |
| Raw food stockpile | Autumn Day 4 | 25 meals per settler |
| Preserved meals | Autumn Day 5 | 10 pickled/preserved per settler |
| Animal feed | Autumn Day 5 | 20 hay per animal |
| Root cellar built | Before first frost | Underground, insulated |