Complete Gardening Skill Guide [Base Game, Seasons, Cottage Living] | The Sims 4

[@brbeeps6874]

One thing I don’t see mentioned often is that you can change the sex of a sim’s baby by feeding the mother either strawberries for a girl and carrots for a boy during pregnancy. Good for legacy players with particular inheritance rules or storytelling!!

[@opinionatedlibra1934]

That's awesome. I didn't know that. I'll have to try it next game play.❤❤

[@hollyhartwick3832]

Strawberries and Pop music for girls. Carrots and Alternative music for boys. If you eat at least 3 of the crop per trimester, and listen to at least one hour of the music per trimester, your selection is all but guaranteed. I've used this for years and it's never yet failed.

[@hollyhartwick3832]

@@opinionatedlibra1934 - It was implemented in a patch in 2015. Check out my other reply for more detail of how it works.

[@BM-od2vg]

Been playing sims for years and I swear I learn something new each day. Thanks for the tip!

[@jaybee4288]

The gardening skill and aspiration is a really good one to give the whole household. Because as long as one does the hard work, the others have just got to do a really tiny bit of work in comparison. The cow plant and excellent plants count as long as they’re in your garden, even if your other sim made them.

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thanks so much for sharing this awesome tip Jay :)

[@Kualinar]

Even a dead cow plant will count for completing the independent botanist aspiration.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

I like to invite over other sims I know who like gardening, add them to group, and then select Weed Together. Indentured servants from around the neighborhood.

[@syllith3077]

It's so weird that the gardening reward trait for freelance botanist gives you fireproof sims. Did their veggies give them so many vitamins they became superhuman or something? lol. Thanks for the video!

[@wasienka]

Btw, you need Outdoor Retreat to be able to craft garden pots on the woodworking table. Also, if you have Get to Work expansion, the analyzer can help you rapidly increase the quality of your plants. Any YA or older sim with at least lvl 5 in gardening can use the Analyze Plant interaction which can turn your plant into the same plant but 1 quality level higher (it can also drop it all the way back to Normal). This works best on fast growing plants like parsley: you plant them, harvest them the next day, analyze them, then you plant the improved quality herb. And on and on, all the way to Perfect quality. Then you can take a cutting from a more valuable plant and splice it onto your parsley. This way will allow you to max the quality of your entire garden pretty fast. You just need one perfect plant.

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thanks so much Wasienka for clarifying/ correcting me :), appreciate it and apologies the outdoor retreat info wasn't in the vid! And thanks for the analyzer info too! Defs a great thing to make use of!

[@Kualinar]

Thank for the Analyze plant tip. Missed that one... And I have had several Sims follow the scientist career up to level 10.😞

[@sherrybrissette1614]

My best tip for gardening is to build a huge two story building. Add a glass roof. Delete the walls and floors. Add columns if you feel the need. Now plant everything underneath this "greenhouse ". Everything should grow year round. Don't forget the bee box!

[@sydneyadriannahart]

Should have done this. I lost a sim to lightning due to making them care for their plants in the rain 😭

[@reading1713]

This was so awesome! Just a little sidenote for those who may not know and that you have mentioned in previous videos, the bees also produce beeswax as well as honey if you have eco lifestyle. The beeswax can be used to make candles! I really enjoy how this skill is so integrated with so many expansion packs! Thank you so much for sharing this in depth video! It was amazing as always.

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

You da best Reading! Thanks for the bonus tip :D

[@sabrinaloizides-merideth9874]

Green Fiend from Eco Lifestyle is also a great trait for a gardener as they will autonomously garden and can talk to plants at gardening level 1 instead of much later in the skill. I find that if you pair this trait with Loves Outdoors, it works really well.

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

That is such a useful hot tip! Thank you so much for sharing Sabrina! That will definitely come in handy when gardening :).

[@WorldWeave]

“You’re a really good gardener? *BECOME FIREPROOF”*

[@Ezyche]

I was surprised to hear that! And I've played Sims since Sims 2! 😂

[@Life_Universe_Everything]

I really like mixing Gardening skill with Juice Fizzing and Flower arranging gameplay wise.

[@jamiemiles2115]

Hey, I know this is totally random and not related to this video but I wanted to share some information that I’m not entirely sure if you happen to know but I thought it was an amazing hack. I recently started trying to complete the super parent aspiration, so I was watching one of your videos about how to raise your children’s character traits, and I was having trouble building the emotional control… I know you can write in a journal and as a teen go on runs/jogs and things like that but I felt like the options were very limited to children… but then I discovered children can do yoga and meditate! Which builds up emotional control and not just that, it also builds two skills at the same time, motor and logic. Again, I just thought this was an amazing discovery and I thought you should know in case you didn’t 😬

[@aobakwekeatlhomile8226]

The festivals from city living are the best place to get harvestables My son once got the UFO plant there

[@jaroddempsey]

also if you have tiny living with a micro home (32 tiles or less) then all gardeing plants grow twice as fast and skill building gets a 2x boost as well

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Ooh that's super helpful! Thank you for that added bonus tip Jarod! 😊

[@leannafrederick1624]

I am truly enjoying your Skill Guides. I have been a Sims Player for 18 years, and you have helped me really fall in love with the Sims 4 and I look forward to watching your skill guides Thank you So much!

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

LeAnna! Thank you so much for the super kind comment! I really appreciate it :D I am so glad that the guides are helping, and I'll be sure to do more skill guides in the future.

[@Tantara29]

Thanks for another great video! I've been playing the Sims games since Sims 1, and I almost always learn something new from your videos - this one included. One thing to note that I didn't see in the video: You can often get Uncommon and Rare plants easily via the gardening and grocery stalls in Henford-on-Bagley, especially during festivals when they sell mystery boxes. Additionally, the magic shops in the Magic Realm sometimes have these plants, too, and I've found Death Flowers there multiple times. (We need to check every day after they re-stock until we get lucky, of course...can't have it be TOO easy.)

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Ooh thanks so much for sharing that great added tip Tantara! Definitely something good to make use of!

[@Lindsey34343]

You’re videos are always soooo good. I’m a heavy sim-er and always have a garden. Learned a bunch of details from your video. Much appreciated!!!

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thank you so much for the kind comment Lindsey! :) Really appreciate it!

[@lutilda]

I always play with gardening but I'm so glad I watched this for small but super important lessons! I had no idea "vigorously ensure plants life" was the same as "tend garden" 🤦🤦 I thought it was a social interaction.

[@lawrencefosterjenkins8216]

in addition to copypasto and herbio, spellcaster sims can also use floralorial to instantly take care of a single plant

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thank you for sharing that awesome added tip Lawrence :)

[@TheInsaneVane]

You missed out the Eco Lifestyle gardening content: Vertical planters (inc. Faux Meat Wall) Hydroponic planters (don't need watering) Community Garden (one of the Community Space sublots) Soybeans (unique with 2 products from one ungrafted plant) Bug Farms (produce Super Ferilizer occasionally) Food Waste/Compost (fertilisers) Green Gardening/Self Sufficiency NAPs (bonuses for gardeners)

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

I totally did Vane! Definitely an oversight on my end, so apologies for that! I might try to cover it all in a separate video sometime down the track :).

[@BlackBenStiller]

Ok, I've had this game how long now and had no idea gardening was this intensive lol. I just started gardening on my current playthrough while going to college as a side hobby. Never knew it was this involved and had so much potential for fun/money. Thanks for the informative vid!

[@DwarfDragonwulf]

"You can't go munching on flowers because that would be weird" 😂 Love ya, Petey

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Artichokes are flowers. Ands plenty of flowers (nasturtiums for example) are actually edible.

[@DwarfDragonwulf]

@@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059 😂🤣 10 months later and I get another laugh out of this one... This is good quality Do you even play the sims?

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Yes. I have been playing the sims since Sims 1. I am also a gardener in real life. @@DwarfDragonwulf

[@Leichenschrei]

Couple things, you missed out on the Eco Living content that helps out gardening quite a bit. The vertical planters are great for saving lot space. Civil Designer sims can fabricate hydroponic planters that automatically water plants. Also side note if a planter is outside under a roof that juts outward enough it counts as sheltered!

[@BrokenDollyTV]

Thank you for acknowledging the complexity of this skill. Its so confusing. Hopefully this guide will help me see a difference in progress cus I really wanna explore this skill.

[@masonlarson9642]

Can't tell you how much i appreciate your video lol

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thank you so much for the kind comment Mason :D

[@alexdelaloire8739]

Also, the vertical planters and the aquaponics planters from eco-lifestyle can be very helpful. The vertical planters if fully upgraded take care of plants so we don't need to. Aquaponics keep plants wet

[@Roxie1255]

Great video as always. Can you make a video on rewards traits and which ones are worth buying and which ones we can pass on?

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

You will be very pleased as to what's about to drop! :) It's been on my list for a long time and I finally got around to it!

[@georgiecastilla28]

This guide is AWESOME, Petey! Gardening is one of my favorite skills in the game, and the tips you provide here are a treasure. Thank you!

[@hollyhartwick3832]

Personally, I group my garden according to plant type. There's a planter for beans, two for fruit, two for veggies, one for magickal plants (like mandrake and wolfsbane), one for bizarre plants (like trash fruit), several groupings of flowers such as common, exotic, and holiday (i.e. holly, christmas rose, etc.) Trees generally get planted separately in the ground, and a couple of small planter pots get their own plants, super oddball stuff like UFO fruit and sixam mosquito trap.

[@Kualinar]

Some plants will sprout almost as soon as you plant them. Harvest all allow your Sims to harvest the fruits of the money tree, as long as there is at least one normally harvestable plant close enough to the money tree. You can take a cutting from the money tree and graft it on any other plant. If the receiving plant is of the perfect quality, you'll be able to harvest perfect money fruits that you can plant to get more perfect money trees. Another way to have your plants sheltered : Plant them close to the house. You can even extend the overhang of your roofs to enlarge the sheltered area.

[@theresiarebeccachristy6009]

Hi Peter, I just installed most of the expansion packs on my PC and your videos realllllly helped me with the tiniest details for me to get started everything. Thank you so much!🎉🎉🎉❤❤

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Hooray! I am glad that they're helping Theresia :D Thanks for the kind comment!

[@phoenixfriend]

Gardening and farming two of the game aspects I play most often. Loved this video.

[@Aurriel]

This was soo helpful. Thank you! The gardening skill is one of my fav in the game as it is so versatile.

[@PandoraFoxxBurlesque]

My top tip has to be seasonal rotation - by which i mean putting out of season plants into your household inventory and planting seasonal ones in their place. It just gives a bit of variety and doesn't effect the quality or growth state, good for builds eith small gardens too. Starting a play from autumn for those Harvest Fest gnomes and their free seeds too, only reason i keep those guys around!

[@lilmamiswatchme9568]

I’m surprised Eco Lifestyle got no love in this video-the vertical planter, the hydro planter, even the little bug farm.

[@reading1713]

How does the bug farm affect gardening?

[@wasienka]

@@reading1713 I think you can use the big farm products for fertilizing.

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

LilMami! This is true! And to be honest is a bit of an oversight on my end, so apologies for that! Eco Lifestyle defs adds a few cool features (as you've mentioned) to gardening :).

[@lilmamiswatchme9568]

@@reading1713 you can get fertilizer from it for one thing, but it definitely feels like a great addition to farm or garden game play imo!

[@malice92788]

I literally was wishing for this kind of video today and poof its here! Thank you so much!

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thanks for the kind comment Amber! :D

[@elainal6847]

I have yet to make a save file where at least one sim doesn't end up gardening. If you aren't gardening are you even playing the Sims?

[@wasienka]

I play the same way. Even my San Myshuno city sims have rooms in their apartment turned into greenhouses. The skill is just so much fun. I love how it works with rags to riches in particular.

[@lthomas6022]

Thank you for this gardening skill guide. I learned a couple of new things. Your videos are great!

[@angelaliao9167]

yesss the comprehensive guide we need!

[@Syeona]

This was so indepth! I love it! I feel so Inspired! Ya know what I will go forth and make the garden of my dreams! Thank you for all your help Petey! You are the best! Thank you for taking the time to even make this video! Cya Later!

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Hooray! We love the garden of our dreams! Thanks for the kind words too Syeona! You are awesome! Cya later! :D

[@jennw6809]

Don't forget you can also fertilize with pet poop, and, I believe, horse poop if you have those packs! For me the easiest way to get golden chickens is to have full relationship with them (use a social treat to help) and make sure they are "very happy." They will lay golden eggs, some of which will be hatchable. The chickens will also improve the quality of various household items too. I really enjoy having the animals help with the garden and I guess the goats and sheep will help as well.

[@Jresner]

I love the City Living colorful garden box.

[@jessmess]

This is incredibly helpful. Thank you!!!

[@RH-vl3fs]

Your videos are always the best! ❤️

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Awe shucks thank you so much R H :) Appreciate the kind comment!

[@helenenichtfischer6181]

I never knew about the bonsai buds! I think I’ll have a Sim open a bonsai tree farm (like with Christmas trees) ! Thank you for the inspiration

[@rayizard5687]

The smallest house in Tiny Living also gives a boost to gardening in addition to building the skill quicker

[@lininacrowne1941]

I'm not quite done yet so maybe you mention it, but the tiny living pack's lot types are excellent for gardening perks

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Ooh I didn't mention it, but thank you for the awesome added tip!

[@KG-dl4lq]

Wow! Thank you so much for this video

[@elizabethh4855]

I honestly didn't understand grafting or fertilizer until I watched this video.

[@ToXxic8808]

This was the best most helpful video ever thank you❤

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

I'm so glad :D! Thanks for the kind comment Athenia!

[@ToXxic8808]

@PeteyPlaysIt anytime ! I'm looking to switch to pc do you have any recommendations?

[@jennw6809]

I've played the Freelance Botanist aspiration a zillion times, and I suppose the reward is good, but, being fireproof is such a weird reward to get for a gardening expert! I love the gardening skill, just wish it weren't so bugged. There are the typical dirt pile reversion bugs, which can be addressed with cheats... but I loaded into an old save yesterday and there were all kinds of weird bugs I couldn't fix. Like plants ready to evolve but no evolve button, my sim weeding the same plant endlessly in a loop, etc. UGH!

[@staleovenberg127]

If in the science career, you can also increase the seed's quality using the analyzer machine, under experiment on flora. I increasde a bluebell seed to magnificant, then planted it at made it to perfect the next evolving stage.

[@ankida]

I splice plants onto chocoberry or some other all season plant to make them be able to grow all seasons lol

[@VictoriaEMeredith]

I’ve been doing that with sage since the Seasons pack.

[@Leto85]

What an amazing guide, Peter. I love it how you implemented expansion packs too which enhanced the gardening skill. Question though: can the Copypasto spell be used on the Golden Treat item to get more golden chickens?

[@tomjohnson4922]

oh cool... never thought about building a greenhouse. Thanks for the idea as I have a few gardeners in my game.

[@victordavila9812]

this was so helpful thanks I will try making a gardening sim now

[@devineinterventionneeeded]

Thanks!

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Thank you so much for the support Devine!

[@awodeee]

Not mentioned - but does using dog poop as fertilizer help improve plant quality?

[@Leto85]

17:05 When the Bonsai tree turns into the inanimate object will it remain its quality as a plant? Normal to Perfect I mean.

[@patriciaboivin6068]

I love gardening in the sims

[@anikaticz6470]

OMG more information i have big head now :D thanks

[@jasc3294]

question do the plants grow faster when you plant them in a pot instead of the ground ? i once planted the same plant next to each other one in pot and one in ground and the one in pot grew faster . idk if that just was a random thing or if that is a fact

[@Emjay_____71]

Im playing the millionaire scenario and my Single sim is only allowed to write books or harvest plants !!! 😂 Thanks Petey - I did not know you could plant them INDOORS ?! I've been playing since Bob Newbie 😂😂😂

[@saipirunc.6261]

Thank you Petey!

[@amethystb12345]

How do you keep bees happy cause inevitably for me they always become pissy

[@miguelrg0503]

Can I spellcasters clone be feed to a cow plant?

[@luizmartins1637]

Love you petey

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

Awe shucks back at ya Luiz!

[@zodiacemma7154]

I don’t think it was mentioned but if your plants are sheltered they take forever to evolve. Like, you’ll think your game is bugged slow but EA confirmed that it’s intended.

[@MsLenepigen]

Thank you. All of my plants are in a greenhouse and that’s exactly what’s happening. I knew something was off but not sure what. Been working my butt off in the garden and the results are at a snails pace. No fun! 😮‍💨 Will try the various solutions and hopefully it gets better.

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Here's a tip if you are going all-in on having the biggest garden: live underground. You can build 4 or 5 layers deep with basement levels for sims' housing, leaving every square meter of lot available for plants (minus the little space for the stairs or ladder to go down). I made a massive 7-level subterranean fortress (4 basement floors + 3 above ground). It can easily house 12 or more sims with room left over for a 1-acre large underground swimming pool.

[@himynameiszero]

Not me playing the game for YEARS and not knowing about the magic tree till now 😭

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Snapdragons and strawberries = good to go.

[@nickboon1235]

Harvéstable sounds so much more interesting than hárvestable

[@PeteyPlaysIt]

It's leviOsa not leviosaaa! I don't know why but your comment made me think of this and I love your comment for it! Haha thank you Nick!

[@nickboon1235]

@@PeteyPlaysIt lmaooo youre one of my favorite sims yters❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@toericabaker]

u have a such youtuber cadence

[@PrideTheTiefling]

One more important thing!! If you have Pets expansion pack, please get a dog. Dog poop is a great fertilizer :)

[@dezaiyna6204]

Drinking game: when you hear “plant” Take one shot of tequila 🎉

[@explorationgmer1336]

I want more gardening seeds lol

[@navahotaku]

Does anyone have issues with Patchy adding harvest to House Hold Items?

[@jeremywilliams3107]

Is gardening broken or is it just my game? My plants seem to reset by themselves frequently

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

I don't know if that's a bug or meant to simulate seasons.

[@asmrtpop2676]

I mean, a lot of flowers are edible. I find it more weird we have perfectly edible flowers in the game that it doesn’t let us eat. 😅 It wouldn’t be very FILLING but like, it’s not weird to eat flowers lol.

[@jasc3294]

now wait a min LOT TRAIT ? i've never noticed that how do i find it ?

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Upper left corner of build screen

[@dianacardoso4885]

You said that sims can't eat flowers, but toddlers can for some reason 😅

[@ВеселыйКотяня]

Well, toddlers can actually eat flowers if older sim gives it to them 😂

[@itzelgc4637]

I made my Coven’s fortune by copypasting dragon fruits 🤣

[@hakudoushinumbernine]

It makes me cringe EVERY time i watch them just... BITE into a coconut. It should have an animation that has them not beable to bite through and they should get a sore jaw moodlet for trying to just eat a coconut like an apple

[@exchi]

Munching on flowers is weird? This guy clearly didn’t grow up in a rural area lmao

[@z.startedafire]

i really can't stand gardening because it takes forever lol