Viva Piñata

50 Achievements

1000

40-50h

Xbox 360
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Master Horticulturist

Master Horticulturist

Full bonus growth for 25 plants

20

How to unlock the Master Horticulturist achievement in Viva Piñata - Definitive Guide

You must get the "Catalyzed x3" award for 25 different plants. Check your progress in your Journal, under Player Awards, then Plant Awards.

These awards are earned by using the correct fertilizer at the right time on each plant. I might be wrong about this, but it seems like you don't necessarily have to get all of the Catalyzation awards on the same specimen. For example, I had Catalyzed x1 and x2 for the Blackberry and then when I used fertilizer the first time on a new bush, that gave me the Catalyzed x3 award. Since it happened to be the 25th, I got the achievement at this time. If anyone has any more information about this, leave a comment.

You do not need to let the plant grow to maturity to earn these awards, but doing so will count toward the Master Green Fingers achievement. The plant must only live long enough for you to apply fertilizer the requisite number of times.

Please note that it does no harm to apply fertilizer at the wrong time. Just be sure you also apply it at the right time. You'll be able to tell the difference by the sound it makes.

I'll list each plant and the color of fertilizer in parenthesis. I've grouped plants which need similar techniques together, and put the instructions under each list.

01. Bird of Paradise (Orange)
02. Bluebell (Blue)
03. Bullrush (Brown)
04. Buttercup (Yellow)
05. Carrot (Orange)
06. Chili (Red)
07. Corn (Yellow)
08. Daisy (Yellow)
09. Orchid (Green)
10. Poppy (Red)
11. Pumpkin (Orange)
12. Snapdragon (Purple)
13. Sunflower (Yellow)
14. Tulip (Purple)
15. Turnip (Purple)
16. Watercress (Green)
17. Water Lily (Purple)
- For these, just use three doses of fertilizer immediately after planting the seed.

18. Monkeynut Tree (Brown)
- Even easier, use just one dose right after planting it.

Unfortunately, the rest of the plant species require more attention. You must watch them grow carefully and apply fertilizer at specific times. Your selection is pretty limited because you cannot get this award for anything considered a weed (Poison Ivy, Thistle, Toadstool, and Venus Pinata Trap). Be sure to water all plants so they do not die before reaching the required point in their development. The One Pour Wonder, bought from Ivor after level 24, is a great thing to have. There are nine more plants and you need to do seven of them. I think these are the easiest:

19. Gem Tree (Blue)
- Arguably the next easiest thing to grow (purchase seeds from Ivor), because it also requires only one dose. After a time, the tree gets these fairly large bulb shaped things which explode and drop a bunch of leaves. After this happens the SECOND time, apply one dose of fertilizer and you should get the award.

20. Fir Tree (Brown)
- This one only requires 2 doses of fertilizer. Apply one after the tree shakes its leaves off for the first time (Basically, you should see a bunch of green particles falling down all around the tree, much like the explosion from the Gem tree). Then the second dose comes after it shakes its leaves off again, but it's not the second time. Sorry I didn't keep count, but you'll know it's the right time when a couple of the tree's distinctive 'leaves' are sticking out of the top, but before there are any branches.

21. Banana Tree (Yellow)
- Basically, watch for the green bulb ON TOP of the trunk. When it bursts open, pour fertilizer. It seems to only require two doses, although the wiki says three. I didn't get an actual leaves-falling animation the first time, for some reason.

22. Hazel Tree (Brown)
- Use the first dose immediately, then wait till it shakes its leaves off THE TOP BRANCHES twice to apply the second dose.

23. Gooseberry Bush (Green)
- Apply one dose immediately, then wait until the first time it shakes its leaves off to apply the second dose. After the third time it shakes its leaves off, apply the third dose.

24. Apple Tree (Red)
- Apply one dose immediately. After a few seconds of growing it'll have one side branch, and you'll see leaves fall off it, but this is not your cue. Wait until leaves fall from the top of the tree to apply a second dose. Once it happens again (I repeat, off the top of the tree, not the branch), use the third dose.

25. Blackberry Bush (Purple)
- Watch for the buds to appear, and apply fertilizer then. Don't wait for them to burst open like the other plants. Like I noted above, I got this after the first time, however, the wiki claims you need to do it after the second and fourth buds appear. I don't even think I saw a fourth set of buds, so who knows.


I believe this achievement took me a couple of hours (including writing this) and about 5000 gold coins, or thereabouts. Of course, selling the trees made up for the costs and then some. Big thanks to the Pinata Island wiki (http://pinataisland.info), which helped me get these awards and many others. I compiled the information here using their pages after verifying (or in some cases apparently, correcting) it for myself.
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04 Aug 2009 21:00

12 Comments
Weird, I got Gooseberry on the first try, and I'm sure if you got the rest of them you understand what is meant by "shakes its leaves off," so, weird... I hope none of them are glitchy but I haven't heard anything to that effect.

Also did the Blackberry bush tips seem right to you? I don't quite trust it since it's so wildly different from what the wiki says to do.

Thanks for the Oak Tree. I also omitted the Nightberry Bush, if anyone was wondering.
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By jaganshihieiyyh on 17 Aug 2009 22:03
Very helpful solution. Thanks for putting the time and effort into it, it saved me a lot of trouble! +1
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By The Australians on 20 Jan 2010 22:51
great solution, i would have struggled with the achievement without this.
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By Splynta on 29 Aug 2010 15:28
I fertilised my Oak tree once the bud exploded and got the award for full bonus growth. Maybe it works before and after
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By Lil Miss Cherry on 03 Oct 2010 21:27
thanks for the guide never would of get this achievement without it. and i only had to fertilize the banana tree once then i got it so i might be random
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By LegendDistroyer on 30 Nov 2010 08:38
Helped me max this game out finally =D.
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By PlacidoPaltiPro on 20 Mar 2011 00:21
Perfect solution, pal!
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By The Globalizer on 15 Jun 2013 03:21
i had to apply it 3 times for banana tree.
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By TheOnlyMatto on 04 Apr 2019 01:52
Hazel tree - Use three doses of brown fertilizer to help mature your tree. One dose after planting, the second when the second set of buds appear, and the third when the tree has shaken its leaves for the third time.

tried your way didnt work.
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By TheOnlyMatto on 13 Apr 2019 00:14
When do you apply it to the banna tree I can see to get it right
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By True Reclaim on 08 Feb 2020 03:15
Great solution, very helpful.
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By Ethigy on 04 May 2020 20:54
I used the guide above, but if I wasn't sure when to use the fertilizer, I just used it, it doesn't penalize you if you use it wrong, so if you're unsure, use the fertilizer, it will give you the sound if it's right or wrong
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By Sejeste Reje on 05 Feb 2024 14:23
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