What follows covers fast growing seeds in the order you would actually need it, rather than the order it appears in the game.
Consistency beats optimisation until you are comfortable, and often after that too. Interfaces move between versions; the underlying logic almost never does. It is worth knowing which part of this the game actually enforces and which part is convention. If the explanation feels overcomplicated, it probably is — the working version is usually short.
Short version
Get the basic version working, confirm it, and only then optimise — reversing that order is where most of the time goes.
When to stop optimising
Keep the first attempt simple and add refinements only after it works. If a step feels pointless, it is usually there to prevent a failure you have not hit yet. A change that works but that you cannot repeat has not really solved anything. Most of the disagreement online here comes from people describing different versions.
Terminology differs between communities more than the underlying behaviour does. Understanding the reason behind a step lets you adapt it when your situation differs.
Doing it faster once you know the method
The step people skip in fast growing seeds is the one that makes everything after it reliable. If you are following this with someone else, agree on the plan before starting rather than mid-run. Where a guide and the game disagree about fast growing seeds, the game is right and the guide is old. Details that seem cosmetic occasionally are not, which is why the order is specified.
- Keep the original settings somewhere you can restore them from.
- Confirm the result immediately rather than later.
- Note your version number before starting.
- Restart fully after a change rather than trusting a quick reload.
How to check it worked
It helps to know why a step exists, because then you can adapt it when your situation differs slightly. The step people skip is almost always the one that makes the rest reliable. Most guides are written once and never revisited, which is worth remembering when one does not match.
Anything presented as a hidden trick is normally just a step that a popular guide left out. Two answers to fast growing seeds circulate online, and both were correct at some point.
Related things worth knowing
The complicated explanation and the simple one usually describe the same thing at different zoom levels. The result is consistent once the inputs are, which is less obvious than it sounds. If something here stops matching what you see on screen, the game has probably changed a value in an update.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Assuming a step took effect without checking.
- Making a permanent change to answer a question a reversible one would have settled.
- Starting without enough time to finish, then losing the thread halfway through.
Questions people also ask
Can I do this with a friend?
Yes, and it is often easier. Agree on who does what before starting, because improvising halfway is where co-op attempts fall apart.
Why do other guides say something different?
Most of them describe an earlier version, and a few describe a method that worked once and was never re-tested.
Is there an easier way?
Often, but the easy route tends to be less reliable. The method above trades a couple of extra minutes for a result that works the first time.
Is the longer method worth it?
Only if the short one has already failed for you. Starting with the complicated version is how simple problems become long evenings.
Is any of this reversible?
Nearly all of it. Anything that is not is flagged in the steps, and there is normally a safer alternative worth considering first.
Anything left over after this is refinement, and refinement can wait until it works once.