Gardening Party Guide

Gardening is a Plot-based skill that thrives on cooperation. While only the plot owner can plant seeds and harvest the final yield, friends and visitors can perform the crucial tasks of tending the crops, making it much faster and more efficient to grow large fields.

---

Direct Group Tending

The main benefit of group gardening is sharing the daily workload of crop maintenance.

Shared Plot Chores

• Plot Access: Friends and visitors must travel to your Home Plot. Unlike Ranching, they do not need to ring a bell; they can enter the garden area automatically.
• Maintenance Tasks: Visitors can help with all necessary tending tasks:
  • Watering: Ensures plants grow and remain healthy.
  • Weeding: Removes weeds that block plot squares.
  • Hugging/Gifting: Certain plants benefit from these interactions (hugging/gifting is based on specific crop needs).
• Owner Loot: Only the plot owner can plant seeds and harvest the finished, mature crops. Visitors simply help the crops mature faster.

Experience and Focus

• Shared XP: The plot owner and the assisting visitor both receive Gardening experience when a chore is completed. This is an excellent way for partners to level up the skill passively while helping a friend.
• Focus Bonus: Ensure everyone helping has full Focus from eating cooked meals to maximize the XP gained from each tending action.

---

Crop Synergy and Layout

Cooperation extends to planning your garden layout to take advantage of Crop Synergy buffs.

Synergy for Efficiency

• Buffs: Placing different types of crops next to each other creates Synergy effects, such as reducing water needs or increasing the chance of star-quality crops.
• Group Planning: Work with your partners to plan a layout that maximizes these bonuses across your field. For instance, planting a Water-retaining crop next to a high-water-need crop benefits the whole group by reducing the watering chore.

Seeds and Soil

• Seed Supply: To maintain a large farm, you need a constant supply of seeds. Group partners can help you acquire or craft the large quantities of seeds required for planting.
• Fertilizer: Partners can contribute materials or crafted Fertilizer (like QualityUp or SpeedyGro) to the plot, which further enhances crop yields and speed.

---

Indirect Group: Resource Flow

Gardening products are essential inputs for other skills, making it a critical link in the Palia community.

• Cooking: Grow high-value crops (like Tomatoes, Potatoes, or Wheat) specifically for use in group Cooking sessions.
• Furniture Making: Grow Cotton and other fibers for your partners who are focused on Furniture Making (for fabrics) or Ranching (for feed).
• Requests: Use the Request system to ask for specialized Fertilizers or bulk Seeds from your friends. Conversely, use your surplus harvest to fulfill their requests for ingredients.