Introduced in Patch 2.2, Gardening is a housing mechanic in Final Fantasy XIV that allows Warriors of Light to grow a wide variety of crops, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, Chocobo foods, and even Minions. While harvesting in the open world as a Botanist, players will often come upon different seeds they can use for Gardening. At first, it might seem unproductive to plant the Seeds since Gatherers in Final Fantasy XIV can quickly gather the same resource from the wild. However, Gardening's practicality goes beyond the sole Seed's item itself and permits Crossbreeding or Intercrossing, a mechanic that lets horticulturists grow crops exclusive to Gardening.
An excellent example of Crossbreeding in FFXIV Gardening is the Glazenut, a valuable resource only available via Intercrossing crops such as a Prickly Pineapple and Old World Fig. In other words, Glazenuts can only be raised in a Garden and cannot be found growing in the wild. For this reason, the crops and items cultivated through Crossbreeding are moderately expensive and can be sold for a high profit on the Market Board. Furthermore, the value of these Intercrossed crops can be further increased by producing their Seeds.
To get started on growing crops, players will need a house in Final Fantasy XIV. Of course, the house does not have to be directly owned by the player, as they can use their Free Company's or a friend's home for Gardening using the estate sharing system. Naturally, the size of the property will determine how many garden plots can be placed within the home's enclosure.
Gardening In Final Fantasy XIV
There are three types of garden plots for growing crops in Final Fantasy XIV, each of which can be purchased from a Housing Merchant NPC:
- Round Garden Patch: offers four beds
- Oblong Garden Patch: offers six beds
- Deluxe Garden Patch: offers eight beds
Before players can begin planting Seeds, they will need to get Fertilizer and Grade-based Soil. Fertilizer is sold by the Material Supplier, and Graded Soil can be acquired by high-level Gatherers or FFXIV's Market Board. There are various Soil types that will affect the cultivation process of one's crops. For instance, players must choose the correct Soil depending on whether they wish to crossbreed or have a higher crop yield. For more information on the complexities of Interacrossing and crop positioning, players can refer to helpful third-party websites such as "FFXIV Gardening."
Depending on what was planted, a Seed can take multiple real-world days to grow fully. Keep in mind that during the growth period, players will need to check on their plants regularly, providing the crops with Fertilizer to stay healthy.
Final Fantasy XIV is available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam or Square Enix's official website.