Growing plants might not be the first thing on your to-do list when visiting the Exiled Lands (there’s a lot of other things demanding your attention) but being able to grow your own crops can be particularly useful on occasions, especially if you’ve built a base somewhere where important plants (like aloe) are scarce.
To grow plants, first get yourself the recipe for a Grinder (you need to be level 17 to acquire this), then throw in some bones, chitin or horn. These will automatically grind down to make bonemeal, your first compost ingredient.
Next, get yourself a Compost Heap (level 18). Into the heap (actually a box) throw in your bonemeal, some putrid meat and fibre. This combination of ingredients will gradually break down to make compost. This process will also produce a fine crop of fat grubs which you can eat yourself (yummy) or use as bait in a fish trap. If you don’t have any putrid meat, just throw in some fresh meat or fish and wait for it to go off.
Next make a Crude Planter (level 18). Into the planter place your compost and the seeds you want to grow. You collect seeds as a byproduct of harvesting plants for their fibre and berries. You can harvest by hand, but the best way is to use a sickle that can be created in the Blacksmiths Bench.
The amount of plant material you grow will depend on the number of seeds you add and the amount of compost you put it. Unfortunately you can’t generate new seeds this way so to replenish your stocks you’ll have to collect them in the wild.
Conan Exiles also allows you to make Decorative Planters that come with a crop plant already installed. However, you can’t harvest these plants, they’re just there to look nice. If you’ve found this guide useful why not check out some of my Conan Exiles 2022 gameplay for more tips and tricks.