People Hate the New Grow a Garden Update – What Went Wrong & What Needs Fixing!

The latest Grow a Garden update was meant to bring freshness and engagement to the game. Instead, it’s triggered one of the most vocal backlashes from the community in recent memory.

While not every feature is a failure, there’s no denying that the Cooking Update—bundled alongside a well-received Trading Update—has sparked frustration among both casual and veteran players. Let’s break down what’s actually going wrong, why players are upset, and what the devs can do to fix this situation moving forward.

Why Are People Upset with the Cooking Update?

On paper, the Cooking Update sounds fun: cook food, feed it to a pig, and earn rewards. But in practice, it’s far from simple. The cooking system is needlessly complex, with multiple tiers (Normal, Divine, and Prismatic) and size variations (Small and Big). Players are expected to constantly farm specific ingredients, like Bone Blossoms, to access the best rewards. And that’s where the major issues begin.

Locked Behind Bone Blossoms

Nearly all Prismatic Recipes require Bone Blossom seeds, which were only available for a limited time. Newer players or anyone who didn’t grind heavily during that event are essentially locked out of crafting the most rewarding items.

Even longtime players are complaining about the dependency on this one plant. There’s no reason why exclusive items should be tied to a time-limited resource in a game that markets itself as casual and relaxing.

Players like Erob have pointed this out clearly: Why should all top-tier items require Bone Blossom? Why not open up recipes to more accessible plants like Sugar Apples or Giant Pinecones—seeds that are still available today?

Cooking Time Is Ridiculous

Another major pain point is cooking time. Prismatic foods can take up to 30 minutes to cook—per item. For what’s supposed to be a laid-back farming game, this level of grind feels more like a mobile MMO.

Even the notorious Busy Bee event had cooking times capped at 10 minutes, and that was already pushing it. Now, it’s three times worse with minimal payoff, especially if you’re unable to access Bone Blossoms. Also check out our Grow a garden Recipe Guide!

The Lollipop Problem

Then there’s the Level-Up Lollipop. This item:

• Is almost never in stock.
• Only increases a pet’s age by one level.
• Costs an absurd 10 billion shekels.

Let’s be real—unless you’re playing Grow a Garden like a full-time job or exploiting glitches, that kind of money isn’t reasonable. The lollipop’s cost is wildly disproportionate to its utility, especially in a game with players who have school, work, or actual lives.

A Broken Economy

The game’s economy is spiraling out of control. Veteran players have amassed quadrillions due to glitched or overpowered items, while casual users struggle to afford basic upgrades. This has widened the gap between older players and newcomers, making it harder for new users to catch up—especially when key content (like Prismatic foods) is locked behind massive financial walls.

We Need a Bigger Pet Inventory

Players have been begging for expanded pet storage. Yes, the recent pet upgrade system added 25 slots—but that’s not enough. Most players haven’t even maxed that system out due to cost or complexity.

What’s needed is a dedicated pet bank—something like what Pet Simulator 99 offers—where you can store unused pets without cluttering your main inventory. It’s a straightforward solution and has been proven effective in similar games.

What the Polls Say

Even the official Grow a Garden Discord shows the divide in opinion. While a slim 64% of players voted in favor of the new Cooking update, 36% openly said they dislike it. Compare that to past updates, which often had over 80% approval ratings, and it’s clear this release fell short of expectations.

What Needs to Be Fixed in the Next Update

Here’s a quick list of what should be addressed immediately:

1. Add more recipes that don’t require Bone Blossoms.
2. Cut cooking times for high-tier foods.
3. Lower the cost of the Level-Up Lollipop and restock it more often.
4. Fix the game’s economy, especially the gap between old and new players.
5. Expand pet inventory or introduce a pet storage system.
6. Make events accessible to everyone, not just players who no-lifed previous updates.

Not everything in this update is a failure—trading was a big win. But the Cooking system and its flawed design have alienated a large part of the community. Games like Grow a Garden thrive on casual enjoyment, accessibility, and fairness. Locking core features behind limited-time events and demanding unreasonable grind just doesn’t work for most players.

Developer Jandel has hinted at a quality-of-life update coming soon. Hopefully, that means some of these issues will be addressed before they drive away more of the player base. If Grow a Garden wants to stay fresh, fun, and fair—these changes need to happen fast. Let’s hope the next patch delivers.