All Traveling Merchants in Grow a Garden

I've been playing GAG for about 8 months now, and I'm still learning stuff about the traveling merchants. These NPCs show up every 4 hours next to Sam's seed shop, but they're only around for 30 minutes, and sometimes they don't even spawn at all. I've missed so many good merchants because I didn't understand the timing at first.

The traveling merchants basically bring back old items that got removed from updates or sell special gear you can't get anywhere else. Some of them are amazing, others are pretty useless depending on what you're trying to do. This guide covers all the merchants I've encountered and what's actually worth buying from them.

What Are Traveling Merchants in Grow a Garden

Traveling merchants are NPCs that appear beside Sam's seed shop every 4 hours, though it's not guaranteed they'll always show up. They stick around for exactly 30 minutes before disappearing, which I learned the hard way after missing a Sky Merchant by like 2 minutes.

Each merchant sells different items; some have cosmetics, others have mutation sprays, seeds from removed updates, or special gear. The catch is that most of their stuff costs way more than regular shop items. I spent 150 million on a single gnome in my first week, thinking it was a good deal.

The timing system is what confused me most. They spawn every 4 hours starting from server restart, but you have to be online during that 30-minute window or you're out of luck. I started setting phone alarms until I realized that was getting ridiculous.

Different merchants show up randomly, so you never know which one you'll get. Sometimes you'll see the same merchant three times in a row, other times you'll wait weeks for the one you actually want.

Best Traveling Merchants Worth Waiting For

Not all merchants are created equal. Some sell overpriced junk while others have items you literally can't get anywhere else in the game.

The Sky Merchant is probably the most valuable one. Night Staff and Star Caller let you force Moonlit and Celestial mutations, which are normally random during special events. I waited 3 weeks for this merchant to show up and immediately bought both items. Worth every shekel.

Summer Merchant brings back all the removed summer update seeds. This includes Avocado which is legendary tier and actually looks decent. The summer eggs can give you some rare pets that aren't available through normal egg shops. The problem is the prices are insane - Pitcher Plant costs 7.5 million.

Sprinkler Merchant sells specialized sprinklers for different plant types. These actually work well if you're focusing on specific plant categories. I bought the Sweet Soaker for my fruit garden and it made a noticeable difference in growth speed.

Honey Merchant is weird because you need honey points instead of regular currency. You get honey by submitting pollinated plants when the merchant appears. The Bee Egg can give you Queen Bee, which is one of the best pets, but the honey economy is confusing and most players ignore it.

All Traveling Merchants and Their Items

Here's what each merchant actually sells and my honest opinions on whether it's worth it:

Gnome Merchant

Sells various gnome cosmetics and crates. The gnomes look cute, but they're an expensive decoration. The actual Gnome pet costs 150 million and helps with Gnomed mutations. I bought one early on and regretted it because there are better ways to spend that money.

Sky Merchant

Night Staff (12 million) and Star Caller (15 million) are must-buys if you want to control rare mutations. Mutation Spray Cloudtouched is also useful. This merchant is worth waiting for.

Summer Merchant

Has all the removed summer seeds from Cauliflower (1,300) up to Pitcher Plant (7.5 million). Also sells Common Summer Egg, Rare Summer Egg, and Paradise Egg. Prices are steep but some summer plants look really good.

Mutation Spray Merchant

Sells Wet, Windstruck, and Verdant mutation sprays for 50 million each. Honestly, these mutations aren't that valuable compared to their cost. Skip unless you're a completionist.

Sprinkler Merchant

Six different specialized sprinklers at 50 million each. Tropical Mist, Flower Froster, Spice Spritzer, Stalk Sprout, Sweet Soaker, and Berry Blusher. Actually useful if you're optimizing specific plant types.

July 4th Merchant

This was a one-day special that appeared on July 4, 2025. Had Liberty Lily, Firework cosmetics, and Bald Eagle pet. The eagle was amazing for egg hatching, but you can't get it anymore.

How to Track and Catch Traveling Merchants

The 4-hour spawn cycle starts when the server restarts, but figuring out server restart times is annoying. I use Discord servers where people post merchant spawns in real-time. Way easier than trying to calculate timing yourself.

Some private servers have faster merchant spawns or guaranteed spawns, but I haven't confirmed this myself. The timing seems pretty consistent on public servers once you figure out the pattern.

When a merchant spawns, you have exactly 30 minutes. Don't waste time deciding what to buy - research beforehand and have your money ready. I've watched merchants disappear while I was still counting zeros on expensive items.

The spawn location is always the same spot next to Sam's shop. Sometimes the merchant model glitches and appears invisible, but you can still click the shop interface. Happened to me twice with the Sky Merchant.

Set up alerts if you're hunting for specific merchants. Some people in Discord will ping when rare ones like Sky Merchant appear. Building relationships in trading communities helps you catch the merchants you actually want.