Everything about farming in Stranded Deep

Growing plants in the game is an important part because it allows you to obtain an infinite amount of resources that are not renewable on the islands. As a result, we can also increase the number of renewable resources e.g. fibers. Unfortunately, they require a lot of water, but it is worth taking care of them early in the game.

What is worth planting in the Stranded Deep?

Pipi is the most important plant to have and maintain from the start. Only Pipi can save you from poisoning, and it's quite difficult to find. You can learn more about poisoning in the guide: 

Next, you should have and maintain the Kura and Quwawa fruits. Only these fruits, when eaten, will supplement the hunger and water index, so it is worth having these. All these plants are not renewable on the island, so instead of using them for crafting (Pipi) or food - you should plant them in a pot right away. You can treat the renewable plants as an additional bonus and plant them when you have the raw materials for good quality pots and   when you have easy access to water. You can also leave the plants without water and wait for them to grow in the rain. This is a good tactic for the Kura and Quwawa as you may waste more water by watering them than you get when harvested.
Plants that can be grown in a pot: Ajuga Plant, Aloe Vera, Potato Plant, Pipi, Quwawa Fruit, Kura Fruit, Wavulavula, Yucca Fruit.

Where to get the seeds?

There are no seeds in the game. You can plant harvested fruits and plants. There is no need to process them in any way. It also doesn't matter if the fruit is fresh or spoiled. Therefore, remember to never throw away rotten plants, because although they are no longer fit for consumption, they can still be planted.

How to plant?

To plant any kind of plant, you first need to create a Farm Plot. This requires a Crude Hoe to make the plot. You will create it from the crafting menu, but first you need to reach the second level of crafting and get resources: 1x Lashing, 1x Stick and 1x Stone Tool. You can easily get the second level of crafting by building basic structures. With a hoe in your inventory, you can build a plot of sticks, planks or metal.
Once built, approach the plot with the selected plant and use the action button to plant it.

What's the difference between plots?

Apart from the visual aspects, there is one more important difference. The plot made of sticks can hold 4 portions of water, while the one made of planks or metal has 8 portions, so it is definitely better to spend more time to get better resources, because a better plot requires less attention.
You may find that the type of plot is not very important if you always come back on time. A better plot will collect 2x more water after each rain, as a result you save time and you will have more free water. For this reason, all of the metal that you find should be put into plots at first. The rest of the buildings can be made of other, more easily available resources.

Apart from the water capacity, the plots are no different. The choice between planks and metal is only a matter of aesthetics or the availability of the raw materials.

Watering plants

The plots water themselves when it rains. When it is not raining, you can do it yourself by moving the water from the Water Still using any vessel. There are currently three available in the game: a Coconut Flask, a Leather Waterskin and a Clay Water Bottle.

Water is quite a valuable resource, so if you have trouble getting it, building a large plantation may not make much sense. A good tactic is to leave a few plots without watering, there is a good chance that they will survive and grow only with rainwater.

How to save a withered plant?

A neglected plant eventually dies. You cannot water it then, and the only action you can do is remove it with a Crude Hoe. If you choose to do so, you will unfortunately lose the seedling.
However, a withered plant can be saved. In rainy weather, the plots’ plants are automatically watered. If it rains long enough, the withered plants will come back to life. So wait patiently until the next rain.

How to replace a plant in an existing plot?

You can remove each plant from your plot and plant a new one. All you need to do is pick up the Crude Hoe and use the action button to remove the currently planted plant.
You won't get any fruit return, so think carefully about whether it's worth losing your seedling.