What skill level am I able to spray for bugs in gardening skill?

[Summers]

http://cfile9.uf.tistory.com/image/220A7043584F196404D69D

My sim has 3 level in gardening at the moment.

http://cfile30.uf.tistory.com/image/262F0635584F1F9F118AC2

My sim hasn't weeded since he firstly planted from the beginning. Of course, he doesn't have any reward trait like super green thumb. He has only 250 satisfaction point at the moment. And also, no spray for bugs option is appeared. What am I doing wrong with the garden? So he is leveling up the garden skill by gardening skill books. Only water and fertilizing interactions are available. Since the latest patch update, I'm not using custom mods.  Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

[oshizu]

I don't believe your sims need to achieve a certain Gardening level to "Spray for bugs."
When bugs need spraying, you'll hear a buzzing noise and see little black bugs flying around your plant.

The Spray for bugs action won't appear unless your sim has a plant that has bugs needing spraying. In the image you shared with us, I don't see any bugs.
You'll probably have to wait several days until bugs appear.

[coolsim9999999]

@Summers --- Did your Sim read the first skill book (up to level 4) and then, just plant their garden very recently?  Plants don’t get bugs right away.  By level 3 Sims may fertilize, water weed and spray for bugs.  Therefore, if their plant doesn’t have weeds or bugs, then, those interactions will be greyed out.  So, all they need to do is water or fertilize it.  You are gardening the right way.

[Summers]

@oshizu : Yes that's what I feel very weird. Usually, my other sims used to get bugs and weeds very often but this sim hasn't gotten them yet. He has been waiting for 3 days without reading a skill book, then I got harvest option straightaway. Since that time, I couldn't wait until weed or spray for bugs option, so my sim started to read a gardening skill book at the library. His gardening level was 1 but he raised it up to 3 by reading the book, but still hasn't gotten any weed option until getting the second harvest time.

[Summers]

@coolsim9999999 : No he waited for 3 days until he got the first harvest time without reading any skill books. After the first harvest time, his gardening skill was still level 1. He has the aspiration step, 'level up to 4 in gardening'. I wanted to achieve that sooner, so I started to let him read the skill book after 3 days since he firstly planted 10 plants. In case of my other sims I played in this spring time, they didn't have to read a skill book or fertilize the plants to level up the gardening skill. They were so busy with weeding and spraying for bugs every morning and evening time.  That's what I feel very weird. He is too easy going with caring his garden as compared to my other sims. And my other sim had no problem to evolve his all plants up to perfect quality without fertilizing.

[coolsim9999999]

@Summers --- Maybe you could have your Sim wait another day, and move the plants to a sunny spot.  If that doesn't work, maybe having your Sim plant new plants would be a good idea.

[oshizu]

@Summers

I'm not sure I understand the point of spraying for bugs.
If you're trying to level up your Gardening skill, you can simply go harvest 20 fast-growing plants somewhere then plant and harvest those temporarily.
Personally, my sims hate spraying for bugs, lol.

[reggikko]

It does take longer for weeds to appear than it used to. I'm not sure when it changed, but it can take a week before weeds show up. As oshizo said, you can raise your Sim's gardening skill quickly by planting fast-growing plants and tending those (spinach, basil, parsley, sage, snapdragon, carrot, potato, lily, daisy, crysanthemum). You also gain gardening skill by harvesting plants in the wild and by interacting with the cowplant.

I like to plant 40-50 fast growers. Plant, water, evolve when ready. Once you get to level 5, the fastest way to gain the skill is by taking cuttings and grafting. Also, being focused will increase the rate of gain.

[Rangervegas]

two of my sims in the same family have level 10 gardening and one of them has the completed aspiration also. When I started gardening, even though I could do it at level 3, I don't remember even having any plants needing weeding until I had higher level plants and more levels in gardening. Now at level 10 I have aprox 50 plants and trees I do "Tend Garden" on and around 40% of the ones that need tending usually need weeding, and about 10% need bug spraying. If I dident have the associated Aspiration completion perk <Immune to fire?? LOL I always figured there HAD to be something more to it than that.> and the Green Thumb I am imagining I might have more plants needing weeding and bug spraying perhaps.