Gardening (The Sims 3)

Gardening is a skill in The Sims 3. The skill is augmented by the Green Thumb and Loves The Outdoors traits, and the Super Green Thumb lifetime reward. It involves (as with gardening in real life and the previous Sims games) the planting, growing and harvesting of various plants that Sims can find within the game. Unlike the previous Sims games, The Sims 3 gardening has been much expanded upon, introducing many real-life plants and several fictional species such as the 'Life Fruit', 'Flame Fruit', and 'Plasma Fruit'.

With the arrival of The Sims 3: World Adventures, the gardening skill has been expanded even further, now to include plums, pomegranates, pomelos (a fruit similar to Grapefruit) and cherries. As well as these key fruits, many new species of grape have been introduced, spanning from the average, normal grape to rarer types found within the destination of France. Although it was said several times by independent gaming websites, the sixteen new grapes that there were supposed to be have not all been included. So far six new types of grapes have been found.

With The Sims 3: Ambitions expansion pack, players can register as a self-employed gardener.

Statistics
Number Planted, Unique Plants Planted, Items Harvested, Perfect Items Harvested, Unknown Seeds Planted, Best Harvestable, Money Earned, Largest Money Bag Harvested.

Challenges
Master Planter

A Master Planter must plant 19 types of plant that can be planted in the game. Once you have mastered the varieties you will be able to reduce weed growth significantly on future plants.

Botanical Boss

Botanical Bosses must harvest at least 75 Perfect fruits and vegetables. After so many Perfect harvastables, the plants of Botanical Bosses almost never die from neglect.

Master Farmer

Master Farmers have harvested at least 650 fruits and vegetables. The plants of Master Farmers remain watered and fertilized longer, meaning their gardens are more efficient. And if you have a garden gnome he will come to life and water your garden.

Plants
Plants include things found around town, store bought produce that can be planted, seeds given from leveling up the gardening skill.

If the harvested produce is sold to a supermarket, it sells at a 10% higher value than if sold via an inventory hole.

The sales values are modified as follows, rounded down:
 * Normal: 100%
 * Nice: 110%
 * Very Nice: 150%
 * Great: 200%
 * Excellent: 250%
 * Outstanding: 300%
 * Perfect: 400%

Fertilizer
Fertilizer is used to enhance the produce. The quality of the produce will increase as long as the fertilizer is applied.

The time is increased by 1 day for Great, Excellent, and Outstanding fertilizer, and 2 days for perfect fertilizer.

The quality of the fertilizer modifies its effectiveness. For qualities ranging from Horrifying (the lowest) to Very Nice inclusively, a multiplier is applied to the fertilizer's effectiveness or grade ranging from 0.6 to 1.2. This modifier increases by 0.1 with each successive level of quality the fertilizer gains. Starting from Very Nice up to Perfect, that is from 1.2 to 2.0, the modifier increases by increments of 0.2 with each improvement to the fertilizer's quality. The net result is that the worst possible quality (Horrifying) reduces the effectiveness of the fertilizer by 40%, a Normal quality fertilizer maintains it as it is (fertilizer x 1.0), and a Perfect fertilizer doubles the original efficiency (fertilizer x 2.0). The following table presents all the relevant data.


 * Fertilizer modifiers based on its quality

Furthermore, having the Master Farmer challenge completed gives an additional 2 days of fertilized time to any plant.

Helpful tips

 * Dead vs Barren
 * Dead plants can occur after you neglect any plants under 'Wilting' condition for one day. After that, your Sim will have to dispose or revive them (Green Thumb trait is required for reviving). Barren plants have the same appearance as dead plants, but they cannot be revived. Each plant will become barren after it reaches its maximum amount of produce.
 * (Note: Money trees cannot be revived as they'll explode upon their death)


 * Sick of watering your plants?
 * This helpful sprinkler waters plants in a 5x5 area. Once turned on, it will run 24/7. It can be upgraded with Auto-Water so it will run between 4am and 7am, which is helpful as it starts an hour before the growth occurs, and ends an hour after.


 * The best choice in traits for Gardening
 * The Green Thumb trait allows the ability to "Talk To Plant"s, which will both increase the quality of plant produce and fill the social motive of the Sim.
 * The Loves the Outdoors trait will create a positive moodlet when a Sim possessing it is outdoors.
 * The Eco-friendly trait will also create a positive moodlet when gardening.
 * The Gatherer trait increases the quality of produce harvested from seeds the Sim plants.


 * Search the neighborhood for better quality seeds to start with.
 * For faster growing use high-quality fertilizer which shortens harvesting time.
 * Plasma Fruit seed is the easiest unknown special seed to recognize, the seed has a red pulse on it.
 * The Harvester tool in Ambitions speeds up the harvesting process.
 * Unicorn's ability to bless flora can make plants grow up one level higher, up until they are harvestable.

Opportunities

 * Uncommonly Good
 * Bring 20 Excellent Harvestables to the restaurant to receive the ability to plant Cheese and Eggs.


 * Outstandingly Rare
 * Bring 10 Excellent (or better) Cheeses to the Restaurant. The chef at the restaurant has upped the ante on your gardening abilities. You've been asked to bring in 10 homegrown Cheeses of Excellent quality. It's no simple task, but it is one that'll land you the ability to plant some meaty new items. Allows you to plant steak and hamburger patties.


 * The Omnificent Plant
 * Bring 10 Outstanding Steaks to the Restaurant. The chef at the restaurant has one final challenge for you to complete before granting you unlimited gardening power! You've been asked to bring in 10 homegrown Steaks of Outstanding quality. It's a nigh impossible order to fill, but you must find a way if you want the Omni Plant!


 * Extreme Life Insurance
 * [Friend] fears a visit from the grim reaper may come all too soon and would like a little... insurance. Grow a Death Flower and deliver it to [Friend] before it's too late. You'll be paid handsomely for this piece of insurance - a wise choice!


 * Garlic Goodness
 * The Restaurant is featuring a new all-garlic menu to keep up with the current garlic trend all over town. Unfortunately, everyone's eating so much garlic that the restaurant is running low! Grow 3 Very Nice (or better) bulbs of garlic and deliver them to the restaurant. They'll pay for your produce!


 * Bad Apples
 * Bring 10 bad quality apples to the restaurant for stew.


 * Outstanding Tasting Ingredients
 * [Friend] is trying to prepare a special recipe at home, but insists upon fresh homegrown ingredients. Unfortunately, [Friend] doesn't know how to garden! Grow 3 Outstanding fruits or vegetables for [Friend] and deliver them to earn some money!


 * Absolutely Great Produce
 * [Friend] is trying to prepare a special recipe at home, but insists upon fresh homegrown ingredients. Unfortunately, [Friend] doesn't know how to garden! Grow 3 Great fruits or vegetables for [Friend] and deliver them to earn some money!


 * Don't Cry
 * The chefs at the restaurant are crying because they just sliced their last onion! Their menu will suffer if more onions aren't supplied soon! You need to grow 3 Very Nice (or better) onions and deliver them to the restaurant. You'll be paid for your produce!


 * Lettuce Help Out
 * Locusts intercepted a lettuce shipment heading to the restaurant, which makes it impossible for them to toss their world-famous salads. The restaurant needs your Lettuce! You need to grow 3 Very Nice (or better) heads of lettuce and deliver them to the restaurant. You'll be paid for your produce!


 * Grape-Aid
 * There's a regional grape shortage, so the restaurant is asking all local farmers to sell them their grapes until the crisis is resolved. You need to grow 3 Very Nice (or better) grapes and deliver them to the restaurant. You'll be paid for your produce!


 * Fresh Taters
 * Potatoes are all the rage currently, most likely due to their incredibly starchy contents. The restaurant is worried they'll run out and are paying local growers to bring in their surplus taters. You need to grow 3 Very Nice (or better) potatoes and deliver them to the restaurant.


 * Stomping Grapes
 * The Theatre is holding advanced Nectar making and appreciation classes and needs some of the finest Grapes available. They have asked you to bring 5 Excellent quality Renoit Grapes to the Theatre. Bring 5 Excellent quality (or better) Renoit Grapes to the Theatre to receive a payment (Simoleons).

External Link
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 * For more on fertilizer's effects, see Carl's Sims 3 Fertilizer Tests