Gardener Profession

Gardener Profession

Once the realm of the idle gentleman and gentlewoman, gardening has been transformed by necessity over the years and due to circumstances, turning it into an activity that a surprisingly wide selection of society enjoys.  Everything from flower gardens with rare blooms to herb gardens that supply the home (and commercial) kitchen with fragrant ingredients, a skilled Gardener can do amazing things with earth, cow manure, and a will.

While you can certainly make a part-time income out of this profession, the trick to making Gardening really pay-off is to combine it with the Nectar (Wine) making profession, growing high-quality and fresh ingredients that become the foundation for wine that, once it is left in the cellar for a bit of aging, can really earn spectacular profits for your Sim.  Something to consider, even though it means either going to France or having one of your Sims do that and bring back the books and Wine Making kit that is required to do it.

Note that obtaining the Super Green Thumb Lifetime Reward (20,000 LTH Points) is a really good idea...  Once you have decided that Gardening is your thing, be sure to head down to City Hall and register as a self-employed Gardener so that you can make use of the tracking and statistics system, and work towards the professional rewards that it offers, as well as get the odd goal and job that is connected to that professional declaration!

The Professional Gardener Sells fresh grown produce to the market

-- Starting Out as a Gardener --

There are several ways that the initial skills can be obtained for the Gardener:

(1) Simply plant Level 0 seeds you have found / buy Level 0 seeds/items to plant.

(2) Watch the Gardening Channel on TV to build knowledge and obtain the base starting skill.

(3) Read the Gardening Skill Books (there are three).  You only need to read the first volume to actually obtain the base skill, but reading all three gives you a mastery of Gardening quickly and is the recommended way to do it.

You can buy the books from the Bookstore in town -- the titles you are looking for are Gardening Vol. 1: The Watercan Chronicles ($350),  Gardening Vol. 2: Odor Free Fertilizer ($500), and  Gardening Vol. 3: Gardening to Riches ($750).  Reading the first book will gain you Levels 1 through 3, the second book gains you Levels 4 through 7, and the third Levels 8 through 10, which nicely caps off the skill without you having to spend a very long time planting and harvesting to get there.

As you start out you will learn that gardening is more than simply digging a hole in the ground and sticking a seed in -- you also need to keep the weeds under control, water the plants as needed, and fertilize them properly.  These can mostly be accomplished by selecting the Tend to Plant action when you click on the plant, but fertilizing requires more effort and thought.

The actual process of planting and harvesting plants is how your skill raises in Gardening (there is a table below that makes this clearer) -- and you can raise that skill whether or not you have declared yourself to be a self-employed Gardener or not, but if you have not registered with City Hall your efforts are not contributing towards the many aspects of the profession that they could be.  For instance there is actually a n award that you will receive for growing and selling a certain value of plants and produce, and there are challenges and opportunities that you will not receive if you are not registered, so really it is a good idea.

Watering is critical but it can be automated by installing sprinklers and obtaining the Sprinkler Timer that will cause the watering to begin one hour before the growth period and end one hour after it, which nicely covers the process for you.  To obtain the timer your Sim will need Handiness Level 4 to do the upgrade.

While there is no real necessity to prepare the garden area (you can plant on the standard grass tiles) if you are going to be a professional Gardener you really should go into the landscaping tool and create a proper garden with raw earth tiles.  That nicely sets aside the area of your property upon which you work, and it looks cooler :)  Naturally you can plant to odd tree or ten on grass, and even use them as part of your landscaping with no ill effect other than needing to take a few extra steps to reach them for tending and harvesting.


Helpful Traits:  Ambitious, Artistic, Charismatic, Friendly, Green Thumb, Loves the Outdoors

-- Career Levels/Titles and Details --

There are ten Levels for this non-traditional career, and listed below are the levels and their titles.  Depending upon whether or not this is a career that can be registered as self-employed these titles also represent the level of promotion of the Sim and are an indicator towards their mastery of the profession.

Gardening is a profession that can be registered as a self-employed trade, and as such once so registered the game tracks statistics about your performance and income -- in fact promotions within the self-employed profession are based upon earning levels.  The name for each Level as well as the amount in sales required to obtain that Level are listed below:

Level 01: Cucumber Smasher
Level 02: Dirt Digger ($30)
Level 03: Clodhopper ($375)
Level 04: Master Weeder ($500)
Level 05: Fertilizer Flinger ($1000)
Level 06: Bushwhacker ($2500)
Level 07: Seed Sower ($7500)
Level 08: Famed Farmer ($15000)
Level 09: Progeny of the Harvest ($30,000)
Level 10: Agricultural Mastermind ($60,000)

Unfortunately if you are planning on using your Gardening to supply a Sim in the household with ingredients for making Nectar that would stretch out the process of obtaining promotions in the profession, since you would be giving the fruit to your other Sim and not selling it -- something to bear in mind...

-- Gardener Abilities List --

Level -- Ability
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
01 -- Able to water and plant, given seeds: Lettuce, Apple, Grape and Tomato
02 -- Weed
03 -- Fertilize
05 -- Plant Uncommon Seeds and Watermelons
06 -- Revive Plants (with Green Thumb trait)
07 -- Plant Rare and Special Seeds
08 -- Plant Cheese and Egg plant (via Skill Opportunities)
09 -- Plant Burger Patty and Steak Plant (via Skill Opportunities)
10 -- Plant Omni Plant seeds (via Skill Opportunities)


-- Plants and Planting --

There are a number and variety of plants available to the Gardener to grow, and each has its own basic value and challenge.  To begin with your Sim can search around town to find seeds. buy seeds, and obtain them from leveling up the gardening skill.

The seeds are where the process starts, but another aspect of the process is the fertilizer that you use -- which varies in effect and its impact upon the value of the produce/plants by its quality and effect -- and the basic quality of the plant line that your Sim is tending.  You can improve the quality of a plant line from generation to generation, increasing its value to you both as an ingredient for making Nectar and for selling since the quality of the various items (seeds, fertilizer) is directly connected to the value of the plants grown assuming you properly tend them.

The following Seeds/Plants are available to your Gardener -- and while not all of them are of use in the making of Nectar the fruits are:

Skill Level Required -- Seed/Plant -- Rarity --  Normal/Perfect Values -- XP from Planting/Harvesting
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Level 00 -- Apple Tree -- Common -- $4/$16 -- 175/125
Level 00 -- Cherimola Blan Grapes -- Common -- $4/$16 -- 175/125
Level 00 -- Grapevine -- Common -- $4/$16 -- 175/125
Level 00 -- Lettuce -- Common -- $3/$12 --     174/125
Level 00 -- Renoit Grapes -- Common -- $4/$16 --     175/125
Level 00 -- Tomato -- Common -- $3/$12 --  175/125
Level 05 -- Avornalino Grapes -- Uncommon -- $7/$28 -- 175/125   
Level 05 -- Carrots -- Uncommon -- $7/$28 -- 175/125
Level 05 -- Lime Tree -- Uncommon -- $9/$36 -- 225/175
Level 05 -- Meloire Grapes -- Uncommon -- $8/$32 -- 175/125
Level 05 -- Onion -- Uncommon -- $7/$28 -- 225/175
Level 05 -- Plum Tree -- Uncommon -- $7/$28 -- 225/175   
Level 05 -- Pomegranate -- Uncommon -- $8/$32 -- 225/175
Level 05 -- Potato -- Uncommon -- $7/$28 -- 225/175
Level 05 -- Watermelon Vine -- Uncommon -- $9/$36 -- 225/175
Level 07 -- Banana Tree -- Uncommon -- $7/$28 -- 325/250
Level 07 -- Bell Pepper -- Rare -- $12/$48 -- 325/250
Level 07 -- Cranerlet Nuala Grapes -- Rare -- $13/$52 -- 325/250
Level 07 -- Cherry Tree -- Rare -- $12/$48 -- 325/250
Level 07 -- Death Flower -- Very Rare -- $?/$? -- 375/300
Level 07 -- Flame Fruit Bush -- Very Rare -- $18/$72 -- 375/300
Level 07 -- Garlic -- Rare -- $15/$60 -- 325/250
Level 07 -- Gralladina Fran Grapes -- Rare -- $10/$40 -- 325/250
Level 07 -- Life Plant -- Very Rare --  $25/$100 -- 375/300
Level 07 -- Money Tree -- Very Rare --  $700/$800 -- 375/300
Level 07 -- Pomelo -- Rare -- $15/$60 -- 325/300
Level 08 -- Cheese Plant -- Special -- $5/$20 -- 150/100
Level 08 -- Eggplant -- Special -- $7/$28 -- 150/100
Level 09 -- Burger Patty Plant -- Special -- $16/$64 -- 150/100
Level 09 -- Steak Plant -- Special -- $20/$80 -- 150/100
Level 10 -- Omni Plant -- Very Rare -- $?/$? -- 400/300


-- Plant and Seed Sourcing --

Obtaining the seeds to grow your plants can be complicated by specific factors that relate to the plant or its rarity.  The following list provides you with a guide to where to look to source the seeds you need, with any special notes that apply as footnotes:

Level 00 -- Apple Tree -- Store Apple / Found Apple Seed
Level 00 -- Cherimola Blan Grapes -- Obtained from Sims in France
Level 00 -- Grapevine -- Store Grapes / Found Grape Seed
Level 00 -- Lettuce -- Store Lettuce / Found Lettuce Seed
Level 00 -- Renoit Grapes -- Obtained from Sims in France
Level 00 -- Tomato -- Store Tomato / Found Tomato Seed
Level 05 -- Avornalino Grapes -- Adventure Reward / Chateau du Landgraab Secret Garden
Level 05 -- Carrots -- Store Carrot / Found Carrot Seed
Level 05 -- Lime Tree -- Store Lime / Found Unknown or Uncommon Seed
Level 05 -- Meloire Grapes -- Adventure Reward / Chateau du Landgraab Secret Garden
Level 05 -- Onion -- Store Onion / Found Unknown or Uncommon Seed
Level 05 -- Plum Tree -- Obtained from Sims in China
Level 05 -- Pomegranate -- Obtained from Sims in Egypt
Level 05 -- Potato -- Store Potato / Found Unknown or Uncommon Seed
Level 05 -- Watermelon Vine -- Store Watermelon / Found Unknown or Uncommon Seed
Level 07 -- Banana Tree -- Store Banana / Found Banana Seed
Level 07 -- Bell Pepper -- Store Bell Pepper / Found Unknown or Uncommon Seed
Level 07 -- Cranerlet Nuala Grapes -- Adventure Reward / Chateau du Landgraab Secret Garden
Level 07 -- Cherry Tree -- Obtained from Sims in China and Egypt
Level 07 -- Death Flower -- Death Flower / Unknown or Special Seed / Graveyard Fishing
Level 07 -- Flame Fruit Bush -- Flame Fruit / Unknown or Special Seed / Fishing / Catacombs
Level 07 -- Garlic -- Store Garlic / Unknown or Rare Seed
Level 07 -- Gralladina Fran Grapes -- Adventure Reward / Chateau du Landgraab Secret Garden
Level 07 -- Life Plant -- Life Plant / Science Opportunity / Gardening Opportunity
Level 07 -- Money Tree -- Unknown or Special Seed / Criminal Opportunity / Fishing
Level 07 -- Pomelo -- Obtained from Sims in China
Level 08 -- Cheese Plant -- Store Cheese
Level 08 -- Eggplant -- Store Egg
Level 09 -- Burger Patty Plant -- Store Burger Patty
Level 09 -- Steak Plant -- Store Steak
Level 10 -- Omni Plant -- Omnificent Plant Opportunity (order Seeds via Mailbox)


-- Fertilizers --

Used to enhance a plant during growth, the Fertilizer that your Sims  use has a direct impact upon the  quality of the produce they create, and that quality will increase as long as a fertilizer is applied.  Naturally there are varying levels of quality from type to type, and some experimentation is required to find the best formula for each plant you grow.

Bear in mind that the quality of a fertilizer modifies its effectiveness -- for example qualities ranging from Horrifying (the lowest) to Very Nice apply a multiplier to effectiveness or its grade (the grade being the default factor that establishes its longevity of effect) ranging from 0.5 to 1.2 -- and the modifier increases by 0.1 with each successive level of quality that the fertilizer gains.   Note that if your Sim has completed the Master Farmer Challenge that automatically adds another 2 days of fertilized time to any plant.

The modifier increases in increments of 0.2 with each improvement to the quality, so it is possible to obtain useful results from even the worst possible quality, though it is more reasonable to begin the acceptable threshold at the Normal Quality level and start from there -- as it is a neutral level for starting the math.  Obviously using the best quality and most potent fertilizer is preferable -- as Perfect Quality fertilizer doubles the base efficiency as its starting figure.  The following base multipliers apply to the fertilizers based upon their quality:

Fertilizer Quality -- Multiplier
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Perfect  -- 2.0
Outstanding -- 1.8
Excellent -- 1.6
Great -- 1.4
Very Nice -- 1.2
Nice -- 1.1
Normal -- 1.0
Bad -- 0.9
Foul -- 0.8
Putrid -- 0.7
Horrifying -- 0.6

The following items can be used as Fertilizer in your Gardening and the base numbers should be useful to you in evaluating their effectiveness and appropriateness for your efforts:

Fertilizer Item Name -- Grade/Potency -- Number of Days Duration
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alley Catfish -- 5/15 -- 3
Anchovy -- 5/15 -- 3
Angelfish -- 25/100 -- 4
Apple -- 5/20 -- 4
Bell Pepper -- 15/60 -- 4
Black Goldfish -- 12/36 -- 3
Blowfish -- 15/60 -- 4
Burger Patty -- 5/20 -- 4
Cheese -- 5/20 -- 4
Deathfish -- (-200)/(-800) -- 4
Egg -- 5/20 -- 4
Flame Fruit -- 15/60 -- 4
Garlic -- 15/90 -- 6
Goldfish -- 5/15 -- 3
Grapes -- 5/15 -- 3
Jellyfish -- 10/40 -- 4
Lettuce -- 5/20 -- 4
Lifefruit -- 25/150 -- 6
Lime -- 5/30 -- 6
Lobster -- 20/60 -- 3
Minnow -- 10/40 -- 4
Onion -- 5/30-- 6
Piranha -- 15/60 -- 4
Potato -- 5/25 -- 5
Rainbow Trout -- 8/24 -- 3
Red Herring -- 15/60 -- 4
Salmon -- 12/36 -- 3
Shark -- 20/80 -- 4
Siamese Catfish -- 15/60 -- 4
Steak -- 15/60 -- 4
Swordfish -- 12/36 -- 3
Tomato -- 5/20 -- 4
Tragic Clownfish -- 15/60 -- 4
Tuna -- 10/30 -- 3
Vampirefish -- 25/75 -- 3
Watermelon -- 10/50 -- 5


-- Bugs and Known Issues --

First, the fact that the Deathflower only produces ONE flower and then dies is not a bug, though if you have the ability you can revive it to produce a second flower, after which point it really will die for good...

There is however a serious -- or perhaps semi-serious -- bug that can impact your garden, and that is a hired Gardener.  If your Sim (any of them) hired a Gardener to come in and take care of the yard, lawn, and plants, and you decide to go into the profession, when you fire them (and you will want to since you will want to control how your plants are tended and raised) a bug can then take effect causing ANY and ALL of the plants that are currently in place to stop growing and maturing. 

That is to say that any plants -- including seedlings and seeds just planted -- that are in the ground and part of the gardening system on your Sim's property *at the time that the Gardener is fired* may be effected by this bug.  The only option to correct it is to destroy/delete the plants, since there is no other fix available.

-- A few Words on Gardening as a Profession --

While being in the profession has certain advantages like always having the freshest and highest quality of produce with which to cook, and being able to supply very high quality ingredients for Nectar making, as well as being in a position to obtain key items that can, under the right circumstances, stave-off death, extend your life, and reset time!  It can also be one of the more profitable of professions because, like Painting (the other very profitable profession) a Gardener pretty much sets their own schedule.  They can sleep until noon every day if they want -- and when they want to take a holiday to a foreign destination it is simply a matter of not replanting and allowing the field to go fallow when they want to travel.

Unlike Painting, which has a very predictable level to the income, the Gardener must seek out and expand their seed stocks in order to add the more profitable types of crop to their catalog -- but once they have done so and, once they start maturing the crops into a higher quality of output, their trade can be one of the best as far as income is concerned in the short term.

As was touched upon previously, when the Gardener is using their production to make Nectar well, the profit that can be had from that is astronomical!  Of course it requires another whole profession to be learned and improved upon, and it requires the Gardener to maintain a large underground cellar where they can age their Nectar, but still, it can lead to rivers of money!

As with all of the non-traditional professions in the game, the most important aspect to Gardening is that it allows your Sim to balance their life in ways that Sims following the traditional career tracks cannot.  Just remember, you are having fun, right?