Can We Upgrade Old Seeds/Soil To The Heavensward Standard?

[Phantasmage]

I support this. As it is now, it takes incredible dedication and lot of time to gather enough seeds and soils to maintain 5+ Gardens even with the help of FC members due to the RNG aspect of seeds and time constraint of soils (once every hour). I find myself having no choice but to buy the bulk of my seeds and soils needs from the MB, despite hitting the nodes regularly every day.

I currently need at least 72 Grade 3 Thanalan topsoils every 5 days to not waste any slot in my 9 gardens, that's hitting a node 72 times in 5 days when I can't afford to buy from MB or get help from FC members (I don't have BTN/MIN retainers). It's already pretty tough to take care of 9 gardens and fertilize them diligently, I'd love not having to worry about soils anymore.

[PirateCat]

I currently need at least 72 Grade 3 Thanalan topsoils every 5 days to not waste any slot in my 9 gardens

Wow, nine? Quite an impressive array you guys have collected.

More on topic, you can ease the requirements on grade 3 Thanalan specifically by using a different type of soil for the first thing you plant. It won't crossbreed anyway since it's not being planted next to anything. I'm still working through a backlog of Shroud topsoil from back when I was gathering antumbral rocks for this purpose. (Though if you're staggering your planting schedule so you're continually replacing the plants 4 at a time, then this advice doesn't apply.)

[iiroro]

More on topic, you can ease the requirements on grade 3 Thanalan specifically by using a different type of soil for the first thing you plant.

That's actually a great idea, but seems like would be more helpful for large scale gardening like Phantasmage is doing (that's a whole extra plot's worth of soil saving right there!).

But the issue still stands, for solo gatherers like Phantasmage (with no FC/friend help, and no retainer as mentioned above), one would have to gather 7-8 times (7-8 hours) every 5 days to get enough soil for 9 gardens. If you add on the fact many people have full time jobs, gathering that amount would be like working a second job in game and not doing any other content unless its your day off.

[FJerome]

That's actually a great idea, but seems like would be more helpful for large scale gardening like Phantasmage is doing (that's a whole extra plot's worth of soil saving right there!).

But the issue still stands, for solo gatherers like Phantasmage (with no FC/friend help, and no retainer as mentioned above), one would have to gather 7-8 times (7-8 hours) every 5 days to get enough soil for 9 gardens. If you add on the fact many people have full time jobs, gathering that amount would be like working a second job in game and not doing any other content unless its your day off.

The thing is 9 gardens isn't exactly within the intended scope for a solo gardener to handle; to even have access to that many you'd multiple homes involved, there should be at least two other people involved in the process.

[Phantasmage]

I agree with that, which is why I didn't complain about it. I just thought it'd be nice if I could save some time and gil by reducing the soil grind

As for the tip mentioned PirateCat, I'm already doing that to reduce my expenses but I end up digging up the first plant to plant it again after I'm done putting the whole set. It's always nice to have a chance to get seeds from the first plant.

Wow, nine? Quite an impressive array you guys have collected.

I just couldn't resist the idea of cross-breeding dozens of blood peppers :P

[Callback]

Wow, nine? Quite an impressive array you guys have collected.

More on topic, you can ease the requirements on grade 3 Thanalan specifically by using a different type of soil for the first thing you plant. It won't crossbreed anyway since it's not being planted next to anything. I'm still working through a backlog of Shroud topsoil from back when I was gathering antumbral rocks for this purpose. (Though if you're staggering your planting schedule so you're continually replacing the plants 4 at a time, then this advice doesn't apply.)

Actually no. You can leave a "ready to be harvested" plant next to that first slot when planting, and it will crossbreed with THAT. 8 seeds per garden.