Gardening – Skill progression & money guide (post-December Update)

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:herb: Gardening – Skill progression & money guide (Level 0 → Level 10)

In my rotational play I’m testing different money-making skills with Zois dedicated to a single skill. Since I noted everything down for future reference, I’m sharing my Gardening observations here.

Settings: 96-minute day
Main money method for this skill: Bonsai Pod Stand → prune bonsai → sell on Pocket Market

:white_check_mark: Quick Summary

  • Gardening (bonsai) is one of the fastest money makers in the game — alongside Painting and Handiwork.

  • Level 0 → Level 1 is very fast (under ~10 min) with basically any gardening action.

  • From Level 1 onward, leveling is quite consistent: most level-ups took roughly ~1h20–2h10, slightly depending on mood.

  • Mood matters: Content > Joyful > Elated (Elated felt noticeably faster).

  • Bad bonsai is normally rejected on Pocket Market → sell Bad via Build Mode instead.

  • Late game bonsai is extremely strong: pruning becomes very fast (~5 min at Level 8) and Good/Excellent results happen often enough to be a reliable Pocket Market income stream.

:puzzle_piece: Key unlocks

  • Level 1: Bonsai Pod Stand (Build Mode), cost 100 Mew

  • Level 6: Multi-Tier Lettuce Grower (Build Mode), cost 35 Mew

  • Level 10: If the Plant Lover ambition is completed:

    • “Instantly grow plant” (only works for potted seedlings unfortunately, not farming plot crops)

    • conversation option: “Give advice on taking care of plants”

:potted_plant:Bonsai style options unlocked by level

  • Level 2: Sunlit Cloud • Cozy Nest • Form of Truth

  • Level 4: Perfect Form • Nature’s Cradle • Winter Fantasy

  • Level 6: Layers of Hope • Graceful Breath • Curves of Time

  • Level 8: Dance of the Wind • Everlasting Love

  • Level 10: Serene Balance • Direction of Life

:stopwatch: Gardening action timings (useful baselines)

Bonsai

  • Prune bonsai tree costs 15 Mew per prune

  • Pruning gets faster as you level:

    • early: ~17 min

    • Level 5: ~9 min

    • Level 8: ~5 min

Farming plots (for reference)

  • Prepare soil: 5 min • Water: 3 min • Plant seeds: 2 min • Pull weeds: 3 min • Fertilize: 4 min

  • Fertilizer: regular 3 Mew, premium 10 Mew

  • Seeds: usually 7 Mew (banana/mango seeds 4 Mew)

:bar_chart: Leveling speed (grouped)

Mood has an effect on this skill. Elated levels faster than Content/Joyful.

Level range Typical time per level-up Notes
Level 0 → Level 1 <10 min Any gardening action
Level 1 → Level 3 ~1h30 Bonsai pruning as the main loop
Level 3 → Level 4 ~1h20 Faster here, likely mood-related (Elated)
Level 4 → Level 6 ~1h30–1h48 Pruning becomes quicker by Level 5
Level 6 → Level 7 ~2h10 Bonsai pruning and farming plot work
Level 7 → Level 9 ~1h40 Pruning becomes even quicker by Level 8
Level 9 → Level 10 ~1h30 —

:money_bag: Bonsai Price Sheet (Pocket Market focus)

Pocket Market note:

  • Bad bonsai is normally rejected on Pocket Market → sell Bad via Build Mode.

  • PM prices vary (ranges shown). Base value is fixed and equals the Build Mode sale value.

What to expect at high level: At Level 10, Good/Excellent are the consistent earners; Perfect is rarer but massive.

:star: Endgame (Level 8 → Level 10)

Level Bad (Base) Medium (Base → PM) Good (Base → PM) Excellent (Base → PM) Perfect (Base → PM)
8 20 50 → 60–64 100 → 130–147 150 → 225–253 500 → 855–995
9 20 50 → 60–64 100 → 130–147 150 → 225–253 (not observed)
10 20 75 → 90–97 150 → 196–223 225 → 338–382 750 → 1280–1495

Legend:

  • Base = fixed base value (same as Build Mode sale value)

  • PM = Pocket Market sell price (observed range)

Prune fee: pruning costs 15 Mew.

Level 10 “net profit after prune fee”

  • Medium: 75–82 net

  • Good: 181–208 net

  • Excellent: 323–367 net

  • Perfect: 1265–1480 net

Early/Mid reference (Level 2 → Level 7)

Level Bad (Base) Medium (Base → PM) Good (Base → PM) Perfect (Base → PM)
2 12 (loss vs fee) 30 → 36-38 (not observed) (not observed)
3 (not observed) 30 → 36-38 60 → 86–87 (not observed)
4 15 (break-even) 37 → 44–47 60 → 70–88 (not observed)
5 15 37 → 44–47 75 → 97–112 (not observed)
6 18 45 → 54–58 (not observed) 450 → 766–895
7 18 45 → 54–58 90 → 117–137 (not observed)

:seedling: Farming plots / crops (why it’s weaker for money)

  • High upkeep, low return: watering/weeding/fertilizing takes time; premium fertilizer costs 10 Mew per plot → overall profit is only around ~140 Mew per plot, which is weak compared to bonsai Pocket Market sales.

  • Grow time: most crops need 3–4 days to harvest (96-minute day).

  • Typical non-tree yield: about ~19 items per plot, usually:

    • ~12 normal crops at 3 Mew each

    • ~7 special/large crops at 15 Mew each

  • Pumpkins (outlier): only ~4–5 per harvest; special variants sell for 20 Mew.

  • Banana/Mango trees: take about ~1 week to become harvestable (96-minute day) and yield only ~4–5 fruits per harvest:

    • normal fruits 8 Mew

    • special/large fruits 20 Mew

    • Extra note: if Nutrition > 80, the trees stay planted (no replant needed) and can produce another harvest again about half a day later.

  • Gem crops (Jewel watering can): you usually get a few extra gem crops on top of the normal harvest. They sell for the same price as the crop’s large/special variant (20 Mew for Pumpkin/Banana/Mango, otherwise 15 Mew) → so profits still don’t compete with bonsai.

  • Resale store: prices can sometimes be higher (even double), but checking daily adds overhead and still didn’t beat bonsai overall.

  • Potted seedlings: not good for profit (only low-quality vegetables, ~1 Mew each).

:brain: Practical conclusion (money)

If your goal is earning Mew, bonsai pruning + Pocket Market selling is the clear winner:

  • pruning becomes very fast (~5 min at Level 8)

  • Good and Excellent happen often enough to be reliable (Level 10 Good 196–223, Excellent 338–382)

  • Perfect is rare, but when it hits it’s a massive profit for 5 min of work (Level 10 1280–1495)

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