Fertiliser

Fertilizer is a useful farming and landscaping item used to trigger plant growth changes after it is buried in the ground. It is obtained primarily by placing certain items into a Compost Bin, though it can also be received from a Worm Farm. Additional Fertilizer can be found in chests inside locked treasure rooms in the Deep Mine and in brown chests on the Island Reef.

The Compost Bin is unlocked with Farming Licence Level 2. Once obtained, Fertilizer can be buried next to specific plants or trees, then the player must sleep for the change to take effect. Its effective range is a 5x5 area, so it can influence everything within that radius when placed correctly.

Fertilizer has several important uses:

• It can be buried next to a fully grown fern to create a Tree Fern. If the tree fern is chopped down, it does not drop anything and the fern seed is not returned.
• It can be buried near a fully grown Blackwood Tree, Gum Tree, Palm Tree, or Pine Tree to grow giant versions of those trees.
• If seeds are used instead of fully grown trees, the tree must reach full size before the Fertilizer is absorbed and the transformation occurs.
• It can be used with mushrooms found on an Autumn morning to create Mushroom Stools. Bury the mushrooms in a dug hole, then place a bag of Fertilizer in the hole next to them. One bag can work around a ring of mushrooms, and after sleeping the mushrooms will grow large enough to be picked up like furniture.

Fertilizer is especially valuable for players who want decorative or large-scale landscaping, since it is the key item for producing giant trees, tree ferns, and mushroom furniture. Because the item is consumed during the transformation, it is best used only when the player is sure about the plant placement and the final result.