Persona 3 Reload: Your Ultimate Gardening Guide

The Persona series is known for its engaging side activities, and Persona 3 Reload is no exception, offering perhaps the most free time of any game in the series. One of the new ways to spend that time with your SEES teammates is through gardening.

By cultivating crops in the rooftop garden at Iwatodai Dorm, players can grow a variety of powerful items to aid them in battle. Each crop mimics a skill and functions just like other items you’d use in combat.

Updated September 18, 2024: With the release of the Episode Aigis DLC, which adds new post-game content, we’re updating our guide to include information on how to grow crops in the DLC.

How to Grow Plants in Persona 3 Reload for Stat Boosts

Gardening has always been a feature in Persona games, often rewarding players with items that restore HP or SP, or even offer stat boosts. In Persona 3 Reload, this mechanic has evolved, adding more depth than ever before. After the first Full Moon Shadow attack damages part of the dorm, Ikutsuki introduces you to the rooftop garden he's been working on. On May 25, you’ll gain access to this garden.

From here, you can plant a variety of seeds, each of which will grow into different vegetables after a set amount of time. Once you’ve planted your crops, if you tend to them on your own, there’s no need to worry about maintenance. When your crops are ready to be harvested, a notification will let you know, and harvesting them won’t consume any of your time.

These crops can be used during your explorations in Tartarus, offering useful benefits like HP or SP restoration, as well as buffs to enhance your team during battle.

Gardening with Friends to Boost Crop Yields

A fresh feature in Persona 3 Reload is the ability to garden with your SEES teammates, spending your evening free time together. You’ll know your teammates are ready to help out when a blue smiley face icon appears above their heads.

Any teammate standing near the second-floor stairs with a smiley face can join you in the garden during that time. Not only will you enjoy a fun scene between the protagonist and the teammate, but gardening with friends also enhances the crop yield. This feature unlocks on June 18, after Fuuka moves into the dorm following the second Full Moon event.

When you harvest crops grown with the help of your friends, their descriptions will reflect this collaboration. These crops provide even more powerful boosts, such as greater healing effects or stronger buffs. Whenever possible, make sure to team up with a friend to maximize the benefits of your gardening efforts.

Use the Shared PC to Improve Gardening

As you progress into the second semester, starting on September 8, you’ll overhear classmates discussing new items available at various stores around Port Island, including the net café on the third floor of the Iwatodai Strip Mall. Early on, these items mostly help develop your social skills, but later, they can enhance other gameplay elements.

One key item is Veggie Farmer Sim, a program available on the Shared PC. Using this program increases your crop yield for the rest of the game, making it a worthwhile investment for an evening time slot. Additionally, you’ll need to visit the Shady Dealer at Club Escapade in Paulownia Mall to unlock all available crops in Persona 3 Reload.

All Gardening Crops in Persona 3 Reload

How to Grow Plants in Episode Aigis

Released on September 10, the Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pack brings content from Persona 3 FES, known as The Answer, into the main game, concluding the story. In this DLC, you play as Aigis, who is stuck in a time loop within the Iwatodai Dormitory. Together with SEES, you must navigate a dungeon beneath the dorm to uncover why March 31 keeps repeating.

Though the rooftop is part of the dormitory, the garden planters aren’t accessible during Episode Aigis, which might be confusing since you’ll encounter plant sprouts while exploring the Abyss of Time’s Desert of Doors regions.

After advancing past the first section of the game, you’ll gain access to Paulownia Mall. Not long after reaching the third door, known as Caina, Junpei mentions that Rafflesia, the flower shop previously at Tatsumi Port Station, has moved to Paulownia Mall. This relocation allows you to grow crops in Episode Aigis.

Junpei will give you a flyer for Rafflesia, which you can take to the shop attendant near the fountain at Paulownia Mall. She’ll offer to grow up to two plants at a time, and you can collect them after spending some time exploring the Abyss of Time. The same crops available in the base game are also available in the DLC, making this a reliable way to ensure your team stays well-prepared throughout your journey.

By utilizing these gardening techniques, you'll ensure your time in Persona 3 Reload is both productive and rewarding, helping you grow stronger as you battle through Tartarus and beyond.