Originally posted by blprice61:

Harvesting annoys me though. I wish the cultivator would pull anything in it's AoE out of the ground for pick up. If not the Cultivator, then perhaps a new tool, but it makes more sense to me to just add that function to the existing farming tool.

Good idea. I started out pounding the E key till I realized you can just hold it down. I also found that walking and holding it down is slower than moving to a spot and sweeping everything in reach holding it down while not moving.

Originally posted by blprice61:

Have to ask, why the insistence on straight lines and even spacing?

Ease of harvesting, maximum density, ease of planting.

I haven't done a spiral. I played with going sideways but found it harder than forward and what little you can see is easier with forward. I have seen the need cultivated soil message but hadn't put it together with spacing.

Originally posted by knighttemplar1960:

If you plant walking forward this does not happen. The plant stays red until there is enough space between it and the previous plant. If you click too soon you get the need cultivated soil error message.

I plant at a full walk and plant as quickly as it will allow me. Another thing I found helps with alignment is watching the final 'up' position of the cultivator. At 2 clicks out from max zoom each up position allows you to check spacing with the next row as long as the rows that are planted are to the left. The rows in my original post (which I had as private or some thing) are done this way. No judgement was used in placement other than trying to keep proper spacing with the row to the left.
I can't imagine doing each one by pick and plant.