How does fertilizer work?

Covering Innocent Life (PsP/Ps2), Rune Factory 1 (DS), Rune Factory 2 (DS), Rune Factory 3 (DS/Switch), Rune Factory Frontier (Wii), Rune Factory Tides of Destiny (Wii/Ps3), Rune Factory 4 (3DS/Switch/Steam), and Rune Factory 5 (Switch/Steam).
Mr Nojo
Snazzy Sheep Sweeper
Snazzy Sheep Sweeper
Posts: 234
Joined: Jul 27, 2013 6:35 pm

Post  Posted:

This is the first time I've played a Rune Factory game, and I'm only a few game days in so far, so please bear with my ignorance.

I got a compost bucket through a request, but I don't know what to do with it. I put 9 withered grass in it, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. I can't look inside, only pick it up/break it. I tried finding the answer to this in the giant questions thread, but I only got about 20 pages in before I began to despair.

I understand that soil can degrade if you plant it repeatedly, so I planted first in the right half of the field and now I'm all over the left half. I hope I can boost the soil somehow soon.

Please help!
User avatar
sadeofraine
Pick Potatos, not boogers
Pick Potatos, not boogers
Posts: 740
Joined: Mar 16, 2008 7:32 pm

Post  Posted:

Hey, there! I'm not sure how well I can answer your question, but I'll try. Putting things likes weeds and grasses in the compost raise the quality of your fields. After so long, you'll notice the amount go down, and you can restock it. One compost bucket can spread across all your fields. Also, growing corn to complete ripeness and using the hoe on it instead of harvesting it can raise soil quality. You can also use the hoe on withered grass to do the same thing.
Mr Nojo
Snazzy Sheep Sweeper
Snazzy Sheep Sweeper
Posts: 234
Joined: Jul 27, 2013 6:35 pm

Post  Posted:

So all I have to do it put stuff in the bucket and it magically infuses throughout the entire field? That sounds almost too good to be true!

Good to know that I can put weeds and grasses in there. I have a bunch of green and blue grass and some black (or maybe purple?) grass, too. What's the difference?

I thought maybe I'd read I could use the hoe on grass to till nutrients into the field, but I wasn't sure. Thanks for the tip! And corn works, too, huh? Any other crops/items?

Also, how do I check the soil quality?

Sorry for the barrage of questions. I am a complete « new farmer ».
ephemeris
Crazy Cow Herder
Crazy Cow Herder
Posts: 160
Joined: Oct 11, 2014 11:41 pm

Post  Posted:

It doesn't matter what type of grass you place in the compost bucket, it'll still be the same and no difference. As far as I remember that is, since I've practically dump any weeds and unwanted colored grass into the bucket and it still works.

Regarding the corn issue, I'm not entirely sure if any crops can do that, since I just use either corn or dried weeds (those brown color one) to restore the quality and nutrient of the field. Never really wanted to sacrifice my corn so opt with dried weeds instead.

To check the soil quality you will need the magnifying glass. It's a very useful tool in RF4 which....if I remember correctly you can buy from Bado.
User avatar
sadeofraine
Pick Potatos, not boogers
Pick Potatos, not boogers
Posts: 740
Joined: Mar 16, 2008 7:32 pm

Post  Posted:

The difference in the grasses are how they can be used in cooking and medicinal recipes. I suggest saving a lot of withered grass as it's an ingredient in greenifier (fertilizer).
User avatar
asduskfalls
New Seedling
New Seedling
Posts: 13
Joined: Oct 23, 2014 6:51 am

Post  Posted:

Honestly, keeping a stack of all the colored grasses is helpful too, especially if you get really into the pharmacy/chemistry/whatever-they're-calling-it-now aspect. So as great as the fertilizer bin is, hold onto your grasses! Or at least, some of them.
Mr Nojo
Snazzy Sheep Sweeper
Snazzy Sheep Sweeper
Posts: 234
Joined: Jul 27, 2013 6:35 pm

Post  Posted:

Thank you for all the advice!

I'll grab a magnifying glass when I can, and I'll keep a stack of each type of grass handy for future chemistry endeavors. Are regular weeds ingredients, too?

I'm fresh off ANB, so my instinct is to hoard EVERYTHING. (I've shipped only 1 turnip and 1 fish thus far, and only to fulfill requests.) Plus, I'm the kind of player who likes to know as much as possible going into a game so I can avoid nasty surprises, so it is sad and unfortunate there's no lovely Cher guide for this game. (I know she has way too much on her hands as it is, but wouldn't that be awesome?) I have been trying to muddle through with this walkthrough, but the table with the soil values is basically gibberish to me at this point.
ephemeris
Crazy Cow Herder
Crazy Cow Herder
Posts: 160
Joined: Oct 11, 2014 11:41 pm

Post  Posted:

It's okay to hoard! I think it's sort of a basic instinct that anyone played HM games to hoard everything! xD

Anyway dried weeds are a necessary ingredients if you were to create some medicines. As for normal weeds usually I used it for additional material if I were to forge some armor and equipment. Since you can practically experiment and dump things when forging stuff. It's the fun part of it.

Regarding the soil values, I'll be honest now. Even though I already beat the game and on Yr 5 those attributes still doesn't makes enough sense to me so I just keep dumping stuff on the soil to raise their attributes and check them once in a while. ^^;;
The most important thing is just to keep raising all the four attributes with medicine which you can buy from the florist.
User avatar
asduskfalls
New Seedling
New Seedling
Posts: 13
Joined: Oct 23, 2014 6:51 am

Post  Posted:

And honestly, whether you are trying or not the attributes will rise on their own over time, unless you're leaving the fields fallow. It just takes less time if you are trying.

As for the table, the thing to take away there is apple trees are awesome end of story.
Post Reply