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[cephalo]

Ok, I'm trying to make a penthouse garden on top of an obsidian tower. If you build a construction on the natural obsidian and remove it, you get the base layer, which in this case is sandy clay soil. Grass is growing all over it, but not shrubs and trees. Does anyone know how I might get trees and shrubs growing on soil as well?

One thing I noticed is that it rains on the main level of the map, but way up on top of my tower I see no evidence of rain even when it's clearly raining near the ground level. I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

[Ziusudra]

Trees need unmined soil in the layer below. Shrubs might take a while to show up. How long has it been?

[cephalo]

Trees need unmined soil in the layer below. Shrubs might take a while to show up. How long has it been?

Long enough for the entire area to be covered with dry grass. Pretty darn long at least 5 years.

[shadowclasper]

Have you thought of pumping water up there and making the soil damp all around? it might speed up the process, or at least make your grass nicer >.>

[cephalo]

Trees need unmined soil in the layer below. Shrubs might take a while to show up. How long has it been?

Actually, I don't think they do need unmined soil. I have some trees that popped up at ground level over my temporary fort after I had cut them all down. I have some old rooms down there 1 z level below ground.

[cephalo]

Have you thought of pumping water up there and making the soil damp all around? it might speed up the process, or at least make your grass nicer >.>

Yeah, it makes muddy dry grass. 

[Ziusudra]

Trees need unmined soil in the layer below. Shrubs might take a while to show up. How long has it been?

Long enough for the entire area to be covered with dry grass. Pretty darn long at least 5 years.

Yeah, probably not gonna happen. What biome is it in? Or, maybe it's too high up?

[cephalo]

Yeah, probably not gonna happen. What biome is it in? Or, maybe it's too high up?

It's right on the coast, and it's waay up in the air, like 5 levels from the highest z. I have a test patch 1 z level above the ground but it's still too new.

[Ziusudra]

Trees need unmined soil in the layer below. Shrubs might take a while to show up. How long has it been?

Actually, I don't think they do need unmined soil. I have some trees that popped up at ground level over my temporary fort after I had cut them all down. I have some old rooms down there 1 z level below ground.

The soil doesn't need to be directly below the tree, just within an certain number of tiles away, how many I don't know.

Technically, this is all heresay, I haven't tested it myself.

[Quietust]

My observations suggest a soil wall is necessary within a radius of 2 tiles (on the Z-level below) for tree growth. In fact, they also suggest that a muddy floor within a radius of 2 tiles (on the same Z-level) is sufficient to allow a tower-cap to grow on dry soil, regardless of what's underneath it.

Incidentally, willow trees will only grow in locations where a murky pool/brook/river tile is present within a radius of 2 tiles (on the Z-level below). It's funny how these patterns emerge...

[shadowclasper]

Have you thought of pumping water up there and making the soil damp all around? it might speed up the process, or at least make your grass nicer >.>

Yeah, it makes muddy dry grass. 

I meant in a ring AROUND the dirt level. Like a trough.

[cephalo]

I meant in a ring AROUND the dirt level. Like a trough.

Ah, yes I actually have a river running through it, but I have it turned off now because the waterfall was knocking my engravers pets off the scaffolding around the tower. Nearly caused a spiral!

Maybe once I can get that going full time something will happen.

[cephalo]

Wow, I just got an actual rainstorm, and now my grass is completely greened up. Still no shrubs.

However, even without trees and shrubs it looks great! The experiment is a limited success! I just have to make sure to extract my bmps after a rain.

[Jude]

Be sure to report your results in some relevant section of the wiki. Dwarven science is expanded by players like you!

[dogstile]

Trees need unmined soil in the layer below. Shrubs might take a while to show up. How long has it been?

please stop saying that, i've had plenty of trees grow with a rock layer beneath them