If you’re looking to shave off precious seconds in Grow A Garden, you’re not alone. The game’s charming aesthetics hide a surprisingly competitive speedrunning scene, and item optimization plays a major role in that. Whether you’re trying to dominate the leaderboard or just finish your garden in record time, the right tools can make all the difference.
Here’s a rundown of 10 essential items and tools every serious Grow A Garden speedrunner should have in their inventory.
1. Dragonfly Companion
A must-have for mobility-focused routes, the Dragonfly Companion boosts your movement speed while allowing seamless navigation over water patches and tight corners. If you’re planning to buy Grow A Garden Dragonfly, make sure you’re grabbing one with good stamina stats to maximize value over time.
2. Golden Watering Can
Forget basic cans—the golden variant cuts your watering time in half and comes with a generous area-of-effect upgrade. It’s one of the most reliable time-savers, especially when you’re managing multiple flower beds in late-game runs.
3. High-Efficiency Fertilizer
Stackable and fast-acting, this fertilizer reduces crop maturity time significantly. The best runners use it strategically, especially during mid-segments where timing harvests can make or break a PB.
4. Smart Sprinkler System
This is arguably one of the most overpowered utilities in the game. Set it up early, and you’ll free yourself from tedious watering cycles for good. There are various Grow A Garden items for sale that claim to help with automation, but this one is worth prioritizing.
5. Eco Speed Boots
These boots increase movement speed while in the garden without burning stamina. Ideal for continuous harvesting routes, especially in larger garden layouts. They pair well with speed-focused pets like the Dragonfly.
6. Quick-Plant Gloves
Another essential in the early-game rush. These gloves reduce planting animation time and are often used in combination with speed scrolls to maximize early gains.
7. Compost Bin Upgrade
This isn’t the flashiest item, but reducing composting time leads to faster fertilizer production, which feeds back into your crop cycle. Veteran runners swear by it for optimizing mid-game transitions.
8. Turbo Tiller
A powerful tool for quick soil prep. If your route involves large planting sections, this tool can save you multiple seconds per section, especially with larger seed batches.
9. Nightlight Totem
Some speedrunners choose to plant through the night to avoid day-event interruptions. The Nightlight Totem makes that viable by increasing visibility and slightly reducing night-event probabilities.
10. Petal Timer Charm
This niche item gives visual alerts when your plants are ready to harvest. While not necessary for casual play, in speedruns it prevents over-checking and helps maintain route discipline.
The speedrunning meta for Grow A Garden is always evolving. Be sure to watch high-ranking replays, test different loadouts, and practice transitions between garden sections. There are plenty of grow a garden items for sale across trading platforms, but only a few truly impact your times in a meaningful way.
