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[Vrky]

Is it possible to dig a room 1 z-level under open ground, and then channel a few 'holes' so that light goes into that room, and use that light to grow above ground crops in relative safety? I tried this in last version, and it allowed me to plant above ground crops as long as at least one tile of the farm was 'light'. However, I had no seeds to actually try if it works for the whole farm or only 'light' tiles. I liked the idea however, I put grates on those light holes and it looked nice

On another note, is there any logic why above ground crops can be harvested all year long, while underground can be harvested only in specific seasons? Shouldn't it be other way around? Winter snows should destroy above ground crops, but wouldn't matter much for crops deep underground. (Though I guess it is purposely done to make harvesting above ground more rewarding, as it is riskier than underground farming).

[Wheeljack]

I'm pretty sure only the light tiles will be marked as above ground, so only those tiles will be able to hold above ground plants. You'd have to remove the entire roof. I always have a little fort set up around my farms and pastures topside, so this isn't something I typically dabble in. I rely on underground plants til said fort is defendable and then just go from there.

Pretty sure you logicked out the answer, at least game mechanics-wise for the second point. There may even be mods for more realistic farming, if you like playing with them. Or an even easier way, mark the fields empty for winter for more realism. I might do that in my recent fort actually. Though I'm in a warm climate with no hard freezes.

[Dirst]

Once a tile becomes "light" and "above-ground" it stays that way, even if you build a ceiling over it.  Doesn't even have to be glass.  But using a grating or glass floor has better roleplaying value.

If part of a farm plot is light and part is dark, you won't be able to use the whole plot... since you can only specify one crop per season.  I think it goes by the northwesternmost tile for crop eligibility, but I'm not certain.

[TheFlame52]

I channel one Z-level down and floor it over, then plant above-ground crops. Safe and effective.

[Naryar]

It appears that once a tile is light, you can cultivate aboveground crops on it. So yes, you can get aboveground farm plots in your fort.

[Larix]

Once a tile becomes "light" and "above-ground" it stays that way, even if you build a ceiling over it.  Doesn't even have to be glass.  But using a grating or glass floor has better roleplaying value.

If part of a farm plot is light and part is dark, you won't be able to use the whole plot... since you can only specify one crop per season.  I think it goes by the northwesternmost tile for crop eligibility, but I'm not certain.

Last time i tried, dwarfs planted starting at the northwestern tile and then going column-by-column from west to east (and north-to-south in each column). And once they hit a tile they couldn't plant on, they'd stop and wouldn't plant in the rest of the field. If there are both aboveground and underground tiles in a farm plot, both aboveground and underground plants will be offered (still the case in .40.24); however, they'll only be planted until the first "wrong" tile is encountered, and if the NW tile is the wrong type, nothing will be planted at all.

[utunnels]

There's a bug that above ground tiles will stay above ground forever.
So you can channel out a fairly large area (5x5 is usualy enough unless you rely on food export) then build a roof over it.

[§k]

In fact, I channelled 30 z-levels to have longland grass farm and miasma-free corpse pile in fort.

Someone even successfully grew wild-strawberry under magma sea!.

[wierd]

That Aussie Guy-- He was really big into that kind of thing...

[TheFlame52]

That Aussie Guy-- He was really big into that kind of thing...

He also invented Dwarven Checkers. He is the king of HFS.

[Vrky]

Last time i tried, dwarfs planted starting at the northwestern tile and then going column-by-column from west to east (and north-to-south in each column). And once they hit a tile they couldn't plant on, they'd stop and wouldn't plant in the rest of the field. If there are both aboveground and underground tiles in a farm plot, both aboveground and underground plants will be offered (still the case in .40.24); however, they'll only be planted until the first "wrong" tile is encountered, and if the NW tile is the wrong type, nothing will be planted at all.

Thanks!

[Thudde]

Beware that these new big trees cast shadows that remove light under them.  If you channel an area and roof it over, then a tree grows near the place and overhangs your roof, the underground farm goes dark and you can no longer plant above-ground crops.  The good news is when you chop down the tree the light finds its way back underground. 

[Bumber]

Beware that these new big trees cast shadows that remove light under them.  If you channel an area and roof it over, then a tree grows near the place and overhangs your roof, the underground farm goes dark and you can no longer plant above-ground crops.  The good news is when you chop down the tree the light finds its way back underground.

I thought it was the opposite. Tree roots bring light underground. Nothing can cast shadows.

[gunpowdertea]

Beware that these new big trees cast shadows that remove light under them.  If you channel an area and roof it over, then a tree grows near the place and overhangs your roof, the underground farm goes dark and you can no longer plant above-ground crops.  The good news is when you chop down the tree the light finds its way back underground.

So this changed? It used to be that the only thing required was "above ground", not "light" (see first couple of answers, paving over the hole, even with glass, makes the "light" go away, glass floors are not transparent). Can somebody confirm, as I am still on an older version of DF?

[Bumber]

Beware that these new big trees cast shadows that remove light under them.  If you channel an area and roof it over, then a tree grows near the place and overhangs your roof, the underground farm goes dark and you can no longer plant above-ground crops.  The good news is when you chop down the tree the light finds its way back underground.

So this changed? It used to be that the only thing required was "above ground", not "light" (see first couple of answers, paving over the hole, even with glass, makes the "light" go away, glass floors are not transparent). Can somebody confirm, as I am still on an older version of DF?

http://dwarffortresswiki.org/index.php/DF2014:Tile_attributes
Light has always been tied to above ground. Unless something has changed, "Light Subterranean" and "Dark Above Ground" remain impossible. Can't have one without the other, so it doesn't matter which one crops actually require.

Constructed roofs change the inside/outside flag, which doesn't affect crops. Trees roots should cause "Inside Light Above Ground" (as if the ceiling had been breached and re-roofed) to underground farms, if I'm not mistaken. (Otherwise, "Outside Light Above Ground".) Unless they cause "Dark Subterranean" they shouldn't affect any above ground type crops, regardless of inside/outside status. They will ruin subterranean crop plots permanently.