| Details | |
|---|---|
| Released Date | July 12, 2025 | Description | Grow a Garden DNA Machine Upgrade system allows players to enhance the functionality and speed of the DNA Machine, which was originally slow. |
The DNA Machine upgrade system in Grow a Garden allows players to enhance the functionality and speed of the DNA Machine, which was originally slow. This system was introduced with the Pet Mutation update. By upgrading the DNA Machine, you can make pet trades much faster and gain access to new Primal Eggs.
Grow a Garden DNA Machine Upgrade: Mechanics

To upgrade the DNA Machine, you need to interact with Barry the Raptor, who is located next to the DNA Machine in the center of your play area. Barry, identifiable by his construction hat, is the NPC responsible for managing these upgrades.
How to Upgrade Grow a Garden DNA Machine
Gather Prehistoric Plants: You need to collect prehistoric plants, which can be obtained from Ancient Seed packs and Dino Quests in the game. Some recommended prehistoric plants include Bone Blossoms and Horned Dino Shrooms.
| Prehistoric Plants | Obtaining Method | |
|---|---|---|
| Bone Blossom | ![]() | Dino Quests (Reward) |
| Fossilight | ![]() | Ancient Seed Pack Exotic Ancient Seed Pack |
| Firefly Fern | ![]() | Ancient Seed Pack Exotic Ancient Seed Pack |
| Boneboo | ![]() | Ancient Seed Pack Exotic Ancient Seed Pack |
| Horned Dinoshroom | ![]() | Ancient Seed Pack Exotic Ancient Seed Pack |
| Paradise Petal | ![]() | Ancient Seed Pack Exotic Ancient Seed Pack |
| Stonebite | ![]() | Ancient Seed Pack Exotic Ancient Seed Pack |
Interact with Barry: Walk up to Barry the Raptor and press the ‘E’ key to interact with him. He will indicate that he needs prehistoric plants for the upgrade.

Submit Plants: Hold a prehistoric plant in your hand and select the “Take all my prehistoric plants” option. Barry will take all the prehistoric plants you have.

Fill the Progress Bar: A blue bar will appear above Barry’s head. You must continue giving him prehistoric plants until this bar is completely filled. The machine will then upgrade to the next level.
Repeat for All Levels: You can repeat this process for a total of five upgrade levels. Each subsequent upgrade requires more plants than the previous one.
Grow a Garden DNA Machine Upgrade Levels and Effects
There are five levels for the Grow a Garden DNA Machine Upgrade, each with specific requirements and benefits:

Level 1 (Requirement: 40kg Prehistoric Plants): This upgrade unlocks access to a new egg from the DNA Machine. After this, trading non-dinosaur pets to Graham can result in either a Dinosaur Egg or a Primal Egg.

Level 2 (Requirement: 60kg Prehistoric Plants): This level reduces the wait time for the DNA Machine. The wait time goes from one hour down to approximately 50 minutes or 48 minutes, or even 44 minutes according to some sources. The machine’s appearance may change to a pink color at this level.

Level 3 (Requirement: 80kg Prehistoric Plants): This upgrade unlocks more eggs from the DNA Machine, potentially allowing you to receive two eggs instead of one when trading a pet. The machine’s appearance may change to a green color at this level.

Level 4 (Requirement: 100kg Prehistoric Plants): This level unlocks craftable eggs. This means you can now craft Dinosaur Eggs and Primal Eggs at the crafting table. Crafting a Primal Egg requires one Dinosaur Egg, one Bone Blossom, and 5.5 million Sheckles. The machine may appear yellow with a skull on top.

Level 5 (Requirement: 120kg Prehistoric Plants): This is the final upgrade, which greatly reduces the wait time for the DNA Machine. The processing time for pet trades is significantly reduced to 30 minutes or even 24 minutes, which is a decrease of 36 minutes from the original time. At max upgrade, the DNA Machine transforms into a large dinosaur head with green skin and red eyes, looking “pretty sick” or like Godzilla.
Grow a Garden DNA Machine Upgrade: Benefits
Upgrading the DNA Machine offers several key advantages:
- Increased Speed: The primary benefit is the reduced processing time for pet trades, making it much faster to acquire new pets and eggs.
- Access to New Eggs: You gain the ability to get Primal Eggs, which contain six new dinosaur pets.
- Crafting Capability: At higher levels, you can craft Primal and Dinosaur eggs, providing a more reliable way to obtain specific pets compared to the random nature of the DNA Machine’s output.
- Visual Progression: The machine’s appearance changes with each upgrade, visually marking your progress.
Tips for Fast Upgrading

To quickly upgrade the DNA Machine, focus on efficiently farming prehistoric plants:
- Prioritize Bone Blossoms and Horned Dino Shrooms: These are highly recommended for their weight contribution.
- Use Sprinklers: Utilize Master, Godly, Advanced, and Basic sprinklers to speed up plant growth.
- Triceratops Strategy: Place your Triceratops near Horned Dino Shrooms and Moon Cats. When the Triceratops rams into the plants, it can significantly speed up their growth, leading to larger, heavier yields.
- Raccoon Method: Use raccoons on your main account to farm endlessly large Bone Blossoms from Bone Blossom trees on an alt account. Raccoons can bring giant blossoms every 15 minutes, allowing for rapid upgrades.
- Bonus Quests: Farming Bone Blossoms is easier with repeatable bonus quests.
While upgrading is beneficial, especially for seasoned players with many pets, new players might want to focus on other game aspects first. Be aware that the DNA machine process can still be random, and you might still get a Dinosaur egg even after investing time and effort.
For more in-depth guides like this Grow a Garden DNA Machine Upgrade, visit Theria Games (Grow a Garden).
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