Everyone’s cleaning out their gardens ahead of the cooking update—and that’s exactly the mistake you don’t want to make. We have zero info on what the pig NPC will ask for: plants, fruits, veggies, or even brand-new crops. If you wipe your beds now, you might find yourself scrambling to regrow essential items once the Cooking update drops.
Rather than deleting everything, hold on to every crop variety you’ve collected so far. That strange golden strawberry or mutated carrot taking up space? It could turn into your most valuable trade item overnight. Check out our Grow a garden Codes for more rewards!
1. Unlock Both Garden Slots
Garden space is going to become your most precious resource. Here’s the priority list:
a. Unlock Garden Slot 2
Use your coins and shards immediately—don’t wait. Slot 1 becomes your permanent vault; slot 2 is for active planting.
b. Organize Your Crops
– Vault Garden (Slot 1): Store rare and unknown varieties.
– Active Garden (Slot 2): Reserve for high-demand basics and event-specific plants.
Without two unlocked gardens, you’ll be forced to delete or sell crucial crops when the update arrives.
2. Don’t Chase Trillions—Focus on Billions and the Right Items
Billions of Sheckles will buy you plenty of seeds and basic goods. Trillions sound flashy, but you won’t need that much if you’ve stocked the correct items.
- Sheckles = Buying Power once trading kicks in.
- Limited-Time Demand: A restocked carrot that costs 100 Sheckles today could spike to thousands when cooking quests require it.
- Mission: Aim for a few billion in your bank, then invest heavily in seeds and crops you suspect the pig will want.
3. Stock Every Basic Seed—Don’t Rely on RNG After Update
Your seed shop restocks every 5 minutes—that’s 864 refreshes in 72 hours. If you wait until after the update:
- You’ll be refreshing constantly.
- Millions of players will compete for the same stock.
- You risk missing out on critical veggies like carrots, tomatoes, blueberries, and corn.
Right now, buy every basic seed you can afford. Even if you can’t play non-stop, use a Grow a Garden Discord notifier to ping you when key seeds appear.
4. Pets Matter More Than You Think
While crops are obvious, the pets you own can turbo-charge your farming:
- Duplicator Pets (e.g., Stegosaurus): Chance to double harvest yields—free extra produce for cooking.
- Speed Pets (e.g., Cow, Triceratops): Dramatically faster growth cycles—time travel for your garden.
- Regrowth Pets (e.g., Deer, Spotted Deer): Crops respawn after harvest—infinite berries for endless soup ingredients.
Pick pets that boost all crop types, not just rare ones; you won’t know which mutations the pig NPC will favor.
5. Alt Accounts and Inventory Management
When trading launches, you’ll want extra storage:
- Create Alt Accounts for overflow pets and excess produce.
- Organize by Rarity: Main account holds your top-tier items; alts store everything else.
- Seamless Trading: Move goods between accounts quickly to capitalize on market swings.
6. What to Do When the Update Drops
- Wake up early (around 9:00 AM Eastern) to let admin events run their course.
- Talk to the pig NPC immediately to learn which items are required.
- Execute your farming plan: Plant top-priority seeds in Garden 2, trade surplus for Sheckles, and swap pets as needed.
By waiting a few hours and watching community findings (YouTube, Discord, Twitter), you’ll avoid costly mistakes and jump ahead of panic buyers.
The cooking update is shaping up to be one of the biggest shifts in Grow a Garden so far. Whether it’s new crop requirements, NPC trades, or an in-game economy overhaul, those who plan ahead will have a major edge. Don’t rush to clear out your garden or spend all your Sheckles just yet—strategic prep is your best weapon. Secure your seeds, organize your crops, and watch closely when the update drops. The players who stay ready won’t need to get ready.