The main feature of this update is the Christmas harvest, which allows players to submit Christmas-mutated plants to earn various rewards. One of the most exciting items is the Santa Surprise Present, which has a chance to drop the brand-new Krampus pet—one of the most sought-after companions in the game. Unlike previous updates, obtaining these rewards isn’t straightforward. The developers made it a bit challenging to keep things interesting, but that just means players need smart strategies to succeed.
First, you’ll need an empty plot—or at least a section with no active plants. For this event, it’s best to use permanent harvest plants like blueberries or strawberries. Single-harvest crops, such as buttercups or carrots, aren’t ideal since they won’t regrow. Planting a moderate number (20–30 seeds is usually enough) and watering them will speed up growth, although it’s not strictly necessary.
Once your crops are ready, you can interact with Ribbon the Elf to understand the Christmas mutation process. The key is to have plants that can mutate, which happens during a special snowstorm event in-game. This event triggers approximately every 10 minutes, rapidly applying the snowy mutation to your crops.
Certain pets can help spread mutations faster, which is crucial for maximizing rewards. For example:
T-Rex: Every 18 minutes, it duplicates a mutation from your garden to four nearby plants. While its cooldown is long, it’s extremely effective for spreading key mutations like frozen or snowy.
Polar Bear: This legendary pet, obtainable from the egg shop, has a 10% chance every 90 seconds to affect nearby fruits. Although less efficient than a T-Rex, it’s easier for most players to acquire.
Giant Ant: A fantastic choice for duplicating mutated fruits, even if your primary mutation event ends unexpectedly. Feeding it toys or leveling it up can boost its effectiveness.
I personally rely on a combination of T-Rexes and any available frozen-type pets for optimal results. If you’re looking to buy Grow a Garden pets, U4GM is a reliable option for sourcing specific pets you might be missing, which can save hours of grinding.
Yes! Here are a few pro tips:
Flower Sprinklers: These instantly apply the frozen mutation to multi-harvest plants, letting you harvest and submit repeatedly.
Stacking Pets: Using multiple mutation-spreading pets increases the odds of applying rare mutations quickly.
Event Timing: Focus on the snowy mutation event. It’s faster and more efficient than waiting for random mutations.
Even during server resets or minor glitches, having backup pets like Giant Ants ensures you won’t lose your progress.
For this event, I recommend using cheap, permanent-harvest crops like blueberries. They regrow quickly, making it easier to keep feeding mutations into the system. Rare plants aren’t necessary unless you’re aiming for aesthetic purposes or high-value crafting. For beginners, this is a more resource-friendly approach.
The ultimate goal is to collect mutated plants and submit them for Christmas harvest points. A few key takeaways:
Keep your backpack organized. Sell items you don’t need to free up space for mutated crops.
Continuously monitor mutation events. Being active during a snowy mutation event drastically increases your points per minute.
Level up and feed your pets. Their abilities improve with levels, which translates directly into faster mutation spread.
If executed correctly, you’ll quickly accumulate points and have a higher chance of obtaining top-tier pets like the Krampus.
The Christmas update in Grow a Garden is one of the most engaging updates yet, combining strategy, timing, and pet management. By focusing on multi-harvest crops, utilizing mutation-spreading pets, and taking advantage of snowy mutation events, players can efficiently maximize their rewards. Remember, patience and preparation are key—once you master these steps, collecting rare pets and high-value rewards becomes significantly easier.
Co-op Strategy: Tombstones Cosmetic – Grow A Garden