Botanist

SERVICE STAFF
Botanist	Access: Hydroponics Qualifications: Bachelors degree in applicable field, or pass (75%+) Horticulture Test. Employers: Idris Incorporated, Nanotrasen Corporation, Orion Express. Supervisors: Executive Officer Duties: Grow plants for the kitchen and operations bounties. Take care of animals in pen. Guides: Guide to Hydroponics

As a Botanist, it's your job to grow stuff for the Chef to keep the crew fed. There are plenty of vegetables to grow, and if you're feeling adventurous, there are some other less edible plants to experiment growing with. You may also come in handy for medical or the chemist, as many plants can provide useful chemicals when ground up and purified in a ChemMaster 3000.

Plants

For the full chart with plant types, what they look like, and what they do, please check out the Guide to Hydroponics.

Fertilizer Types

EZ Nutrient: The standard fertilizer, keeps plants alive. Won't increase yield.

Left-4-Zed: Increases the potency by a large amount, but takes forever to harvest. Switch to another fertilizer if it takes too long.

Robust Harvest: The amount harvested increases dramatically.

Seeds

The seed storage gives you seeds to start growing. There's a couple of hidden seeds too if you get the tools to hack it, but remember that it's very slightly illegal.

The Chef

Take your vegetables to the chef, then have him cook them up! There are many different foods the chef can make from different foods you grow. Or, as an alternative, have him blend different things for you. Blended foods provide a concentration of various materials that can be separated from nutriment reagents.

Tools of the Trade

You get a few fun tools as a Botanist that will make your life easier when growing plants. Many of these are found in your locker:

• Plant Analyzer: Use to determine various traits about your plants and seeds. Good to determine best lighting conditions for optimal growing time.
• Plant Bag: Collects harvestables and seed packets in bulk. Just click on the pile with the bag to collect, and click the bag on the fridge or seed vendor to store.
• Hydrobelt: Useful for carrying all your planting needs at hand.
• Hatchet: Use cut down plants from your trays when you are ready to remove them. Also used to chop tower caps into wooden planks.
• Mini Hoe: Use to remove weeds from the hydroponic trays. Weeds are more common on soil beds than in trays, but it's good to check from time to time.
• Plant Clippers: Used to take a sample from a plant and make a new seed packet you can grow before the plant is mature. This harms the plant's health somewhat, and some plants are more fragile than others.
• Plant-B-Gone: Makes plants unhealthy, and easier to chop down. Does minor toxin damage. May cause strange weeds or mushrooms to grow in place of the plant.
• Backpack Water Tank: A quick and easy way to fill your trays (or spray the ground wet) but it takes up your backpack slot. Holds 500 units. Detach the sprayer and use it to fill the pack at the sink.
• Bucket: Fill at the sink and water your trays. Doesn't take up your back slot. Holds 300 units.

Other Useful Tools

• Tray Lids: When setting light conditions, use the lids (alt+click the tray). This will keep the temperature and set light condition stable in the tray. Defaults at level 5 light.

Chemicals

Ammonia is a much better fertilizer than EZ-Grow, and unstable mutagens can cause some interesting plant variations.

Most chemicals can be requested from the Chemist, but you're quite low down on the list of people who need them, so try giving them some useful plants to blend.

Different chemicals do different things to your plants when injected. Feel free to experiment until you find a blend you like!

Traitor

You can use Nettles as an interesting weapon, but they take a very long time to grow to effective potency levels. If you have an easy objective, quickly rush out and get it out of the way, head back and get your plants growing. Your leather gloves leave no prints at a crime scene, so if you ditch your equipment (or hide it) you should be fine enough so no one knows it was you. You can also intoxicate some food if you get your hands on a dropper. Just make sure your give it to the right person!