In the original PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 version of NieR, you could manipulate the system’s clock when planting seeds to speed up the White Moonflower growing process. But in this new version of the game, that’s no longer possible. That’s because the growing process is tied to your system clock tied to the internet’s real-time clock.
However, there is a way you can still manipulate time to grow the White Moonflower, and that involves changing the time zones on your system. Here’s how you can do it on PlayStation.
NieR: Replicant Gardening Explained
There’s a garden right outside of your house in the village. To use it, either complete the “Shopping List” and “A Return to Shopping” quests in part one of the game. These two side quests are missable and disappear when you get to part two.
However, you can still use the garden by purchasing the Cultivator’s Handbook from the village florist in part two if you didn’t complete those quests.
There are seven different Moonflower colors, but you can only buy seeds for three of them. You can buy Red, Blue, and Gold Moonflower Seeds in Seaport or other towns. For the other four colors, you will need to crossbreed the Moonflowers.
Here are the possible color combinations:
Blue + Gold = Indigo Red + Gold = Peach Indigo + Red = Pink Peach + Pink = White
Of course, for the Legendary Gardner trophy or achievement, you want the last combination, which is the White Moonflower.
How to Manipulate Your Timezone for Faster Gardening
This is where the time zone manipulation comes in, and be sure to change your timezone before you plant any seeds at all. Also, make use of your three available save files and make a separate save (save 2) before planting any seeds as well. Whether or not your seeds mix to become a new color is predetermined right after you plant the seed.
On PlayStation
Go to your PlayStation’s settings -> System -> scroll down to Date and Time -> change your time zone to the very first one: UTC - 11:00 American Samoa.
We haven’t tested this same method on Xbox One or PC, but here is how you change your time zone on those platforms.
On PC and Xbox
Go to your Xbox’s settings -> System -> scroll down to Time -> change your time zone to the very first one: UTC - 12:00 International Date Line West.
On Windows 10, press the Windows logo Start button -> Settings (Gear-shaped Settings icon) -> Time & language -> Date & time and change your time zone to UTC - 12:00 International Date Line West.
How to Get Indigo Moonflowers
You have 15 spots to plant seeds, so plant your Blue and Gold seeds like this:
B | G | B | G | B
B | G | B | G | B
B | G | B | G | B
It seems that it’s the Gold Moonflowers that turn the Blue Moonflowers into Indigo, so be sure to plant them around the Blue ones.
After planting the seeds, save your game on your main save (save 1) and quit the game. Go back to your time zone settings on your PlayStation console and set it all the way to the bottom, UTC + 13:00 Independent State of Samoa or UTC + 14:00 Kirtimati Island (on Xbox and Windows 10 PC).
Changing the time zone setting again speeds up the growth process automatically by 24 hours. It takes about 48 total hours for the flowers to wither and die so that they drop the seeds.
Now load up save 1 to find your flowers blooming. You can look at the flowers to see what colors they are. If they have a slight purple-ish tint to them, then that’s indigo. If you don’t get any indigo flowers, then boot up save 2 before you planted the seeds and then replant them again.
Then overwrite save 1 (remember to change the timezone back to UTC - 11:00 American Samoa before planting!).
It’s not really worth fertilizing the soil and watering since it doesn’t seem to speed up the process. You’re better off planting the seeds straight away.
Once you can tell you’ve gotten an indigo flower, you’ll have to wait about half a day to one full day in real-time for your flowers to die. Check back periodically.
You’ll typically get one to three seeds per wilted flower. Once you get at least nine seeds, you should feel confident enough to then work on getting the other colors. Follow the same patterns as before.
How to Get Peach Moonflowers
R | G | R | G | R
R | G | R | G | R
R | G | R | G | R
The same logic applies here. The Gold ones turn the Red ones to Peach, so surround the Red ones with Gold.
How to Get Pink Moonflowers
When you have enough Red and Indigo seeds, you can make pink ones:
In | R | In | R | In
In | R | In | R | In
In | R | In | R | In
In this case, it looks like the Red Moonflowers turn the Indigo ones Pink, so plant the Red ones around the Indigo ones.
How to Get White Moonflowers in NieR: Replicant
When you have enough Pink and Peach seeds, you can finally make white ones:
Pe | Pi | Pe | Pi | Pe
Pe | Pi | Pe | Pi | Pe
Pe | Pi | Pe | Pi | Pe
Note that the White Moonflower is still quite rare, even if you do have enough pink and peach seeds. It may take several tries to get one!
Don’t be afraid to rely on the alternating saves method described earlier in this guide. Remember that for the trophy or achievement, you only need to harvest the White Moonflower, and you don’t have to pick up its seeds.
And that is how you get the White Moonflower and the Legendary Gardener trophy/achievement in NieR Replicant Ver. 1.22474487139.
