Description
The expanded gardens are organized into specialized zones based on water salinity and depth. The freshwater zone, fed entirely by rain and cistern water, produces the finest quality taro alongside watercress, water spinach, and other tender greens. The brackish zone, where freshwater mixes with filtered seawater, grows robust taro varieties that develop unique flavors from the mineral-rich water along with edible aquatic taro that thrives in higher salinity. The deep water zone features plots flooded to greater depths where water taro and lotus roots flourish. This diversification ensures consistent production even if one zone experiences problems and provides the settlement with a wider variety of foods.
Each plot has been refined based on lessons learned from the original gardens. The berms are now built with cores of piled stones for stability, covered with clay-rich soil that prevents seepage, and planted with nitrogen-fixing sedges that strengthen the walls while improving soil fertility. The wooden sluice gates have been upgraded to precisely machined versions that seal perfectly and can be adjusted from outside the plots, eliminating the need for workers to wade into muddy water for routine water management. Observation platforms built at strategic locations allow tenders to monitor multiple plots simultaneously and spot problems early.
The facility includes a proper processing area where harvested taro is cleaned, sorted by size and quality, and prepared for various uses. Large washing tanks with running water speed the cleaning process, while covered sorting tables protect workers from sun exposure during the lengthy task of grading produce. A storage house built partially underground maintains cool temperatures that extend taro shelf life from weeks to months. Inside, taro corms are packed in damp sand within wooden bins, arranged by harvest date so the oldest are used first. A separate section stores seed stock for future planting, with the finest specimens from each harvest carefully preserved.
Supporting the expanded gardens is a nursery area where young taro plants are started and nurtured until large enough for transplanting into the main plots. This controlled environment produces healthier, more uniform plants that establish quickly when moved to growing plots. The nursery also serves as an experimental station where tenders test new taro varieties and cultivation techniques. Recent experiments with cross-breeding have produced a fast-maturing variety that reaches harvest size in just six weeks rather than two months, potentially allowing ten cycles per year. Workers' quarters near the gardens house the expanded cultivation team, and a teaching pavilion trains new tenders in the specialized skills required for wetland agriculture.
Benefits
The Basic Taro Plots generate 2 additional Prestige. The plots now produce 1,200 pounds of taro corms monthly and generates an additional 200 gold per month from surplus sales.