Key Highlights:
- Planters are essential for growing edible and medicinal plants.
- Seeds are acquired from foraging and can be planted in crafted structures.
- Plants grow passively over time and support long-term survival.
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While the horrors of Sons of the Forest often centre around survival against cannibals and mutants, managing your health and energy through sustainable food sources is equally vital.
Hunting and scavenging provide short-term nutrition, but for players setting down roots, gardening offers consistency, safety, and a strategic edge.
Growing your own plants means less dependence on risky excursions. It also grants access to medicinal herbs and berries, which are essential in healing and stamina restoration.
But players won’t be planting straight into the dirt, a more deliberate system is in place.
How Planting Works
The planting system begins with planters, which are simple wooden structures crafted from sticks.
Players can choose between two options found in the Survival Handbook (press B to access it): the Standing Planter, ideal for outdoor setups, and the Wall Planter, designed for base interiors.
Once placed, these planters must be constructed using gathered sticks. You can source these from small trees, branches, or by instructing Kelvin to fetch materials.
He can also be told to finish building the planters once placed, speeding up the process if you’re short on time or patience. Each planter supports only one type of seed, which makes layout planning important if you aim to maintain a reliable supply of different plant types.
This design encourages players to expand their growing area gradually and with intent.
Finding and Using Seeds
Seeds aren’t crafted, they’re acquired passively as you forage. When collecting plants like blueberries, aloe vera, or devil’s club, you’ll occasionally receive a corresponding seed. These are automatically added to your inventory and become available for planting as long as you have a planter ready.
When you’re near a completed planter, a leaf icon will appear. Interacting with it brings up the seed selection interface, allowing you to choose what to plant. The system is simple and unobtrusive, making repeat planting straightforward.
There’s plenty of Flora in SOTF, but knowing which ones give you seeds is important to know.
The following plants are known to yield seeds:
- Blueberry, Blackberry, and Salmonberry – for food
- Aloe Vera, Yarrow, and Horsetail – for crafting medicine
- Chicory, Arrowleaf, and Fireweed – used in stat-boosting recipes
Some plants grow faster than others, but most reach full size in two to three in-game days.
They don’t require watering, the rain will take care of that, and they’ll mature regardless of planter location. However, snowy weather may slow down or temporarily halt growth, especially for food-bearing plants.
Harvesting and Replanting
Once a plant is fully grown, you can interact with it to harvest the yield. In many cases, the plant will begin a new growth cycle, allowing for continuous use of the same planter. If you want to replace the crop, you can remove the existing plant using your axe and then select a new seed to begin again.
Both Kelvin and Virginia will consume food crops directly from the planters if they’re hungry. While this adds a nice touch of realism, it’s worth considering multiple planters to avoid shortages.
Pro Tip: Unlike wild bushes found in the forest, berries grown in planters will refresh roughly 20 in-game seconds after harvesting. This effectively turns berry bushes into renewable food sources, allowing players to rely on a consistent supply without needing to replant. It’s worth noting that this auto-regrowth mechanic only applies to cultivated bushes, harvested wild bushes do not regenerate.
Not all plants in SOTF behave the same when harvested. While berry bushes persist after picking, plants like aloe vera and other herbs will disappear completely once collected. These crops must be manually replanted using new seeds, meaning players should monitor their medicinal gardens more closely to ensure ongoing supply.
To keep your garden bed tidy and free from obstructive foliage, you can lay down stick paths before placing planters. This technique clears out tall grass and small bushes, making it easier to position your planters cleanly and maintain visibility.
While cosmetic, it’s especially useful for players who want structured layouts around their base.
Gardening in Sons of the Forest isn’t just about food – it’s about stability. With the right setup, you reduce your exposure to danger, maintain control over your recovery resources, and improve your settlement’s functionality.
In a game that constantly pushes you into conflict and exploration, growing your own plants offers a rare moment of control and sustainability.