Complete Crop Guide
TL;DR
Crops are the primary income source in Stardew Valley. The key profitability metric is gold per day, calculated as (Sell Price - Seed Cost) / Days to Grow. Starfruit is the most profitable summer crop at 26.92g/day raw, reaching 3,150g per wine bottle with Artisan profession. Strawberry (Spring) and Cranberry (Fall) offer the best multi-harvest returns with 620g and 1,320g net profit per plant per season. Deluxe Fertilizer guarantees Gold or Iridium quality crops (66% Gold, 34% Iridium). Giant crops (Cauliflower, Melon, Pumpkin) yield 15-21 items when planted in 3x3 patterns.
Crops are one of the primary sources of income in Stardew Valley. This guide covers every crop across all four seasons, with detailed data on seed costs, sell prices, growth times, profitability, fertilizer effects, giant crop mechanics, and greenhouse recommendations.
How is Crop Profitability Calculated?
The key metric for evaluating crops is gold per day, which is calculated as:
Gold per day = (Sell Price - Seed Cost) / Days to Grow
For crops that produce multiple harvests, the initial growth period is used for the first calculation, and the regrowth period is used for subsequent harvests. Keep in mind that gold per day does not account for the cost of tilling, watering, or fertilizer. For multi-harvest crops, the formula becomes:
Total Gold per Day = ((Sell Price x Number of Harvests) - Seed Cost) / Total Days
This gives a more accurate picture of crops like strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries that produce multiple harvests per season.
What is the Best Spring Crop?
| Crop | Seed Cost | Sell Price | Growth Days | Gold/Day | Regrowth | Seed Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsnip | 20g | 35g | 4 | 3.75g | - | Pierre (Spring 1) |
| Potato | 50g | 80g | 6 | 5.00g | - | Pierre |
| Cauliflower | 80g | 175g | 12 | 7.92g | - | Pierre |
| Green Bean | 60g | 40g | 10 | -2.00g | 3 days | Pierre |
| Kale | 70g | 110g | 6 | 6.67g | - | Pierre (Year 2+) |
| Rhubarb | 100g | 220g | 13 | 9.23g | - | Oasis (Year 2+) |
| Strawberry | 100g | 120g | 8 | 2.50g | 4 days | Egg Festival (Day 13) |
Best Spring Crop: Strawberry is the most profitable spring crop overall due to multiple harvests, but you must buy seeds at the Egg Festival on Spring 13. For early spring, cauliflower provides the best single-harvest profit. Potatoes have a hidden bonus: approximately 10% chance to yield an extra potato per harvest, making their actual gold per day closer to 6.67g.
What is the Best Summer Crop?
| Crop | Seed Cost | Sell Price | Growth Days | Gold/Day | Regrowth | Seed Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melon | 80g | 250g | 12 | 14.17g | - | Pierre |
| Blueberry | 80g | 150g (x3) | 13 | 5.38g | 4 days | Pierre |
| Tomato | 50g | 60g | 11 | 0.91g | 4 days | Pierre |
| Hot Pepper | 40g | 40g | 5 | 0.00g | 3 days | Pierre |
| Starfruit | 400g | 750g | 13 | 26.92g | - | Oasis |
| Corn | 150g | 50g | 14 | -7.14g | 4 days | Pierre |
| Hops | 60g | 25g | 11 | -3.18g | 1 day | Pierre |
| Red Cabbage | 100g | 260g | 9 | 17.78g | - | Pierre (Year 2+) |
| Radish | 40g | 90g | 6 | 8.33g | - | Pierre |
| Wheat | 10g | 25g | 4 | 3.75g | - | Pierre |
| Spangle | 50g | 60g | 8 | 1.25g | - | Pierre (Year 2+) |
| Poppy | 100g | 140g | 7 | 5.71g | - | Pierre |
Best Summer Crop: Starfruit is the most profitable summer crop by far at 26.92g gold per day raw, and when turned into wine it becomes the most profitable item in the entire game. Seeds cost 400g each and are only available from the Oasis in the Calico Desert. Blueberries are the best Pierre-available crop when accounting for the 3 berries per harvest.
What is the Best Fall Crop?
| Crop | Seed Cost | Sell Price | Growth Days | Gold/Day | Regrowth | Seed Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin | 100g | 320g | 13 | 16.92g | - | Pierre |
| Cranberry | 240g | 130g (x2) | 7 | -15.71g | 3 days | Pierre |
| Eggplant | 20g | 60g | 5 | 8.00g | 5 days | Pierre |
| Artichoke | 30g | 160g | 8 | 16.25g | - | Pierre (Year 2+) |
| Grape | 60g | 80g | 10 | 2.00g | 3 days | Pierre |
| Yam | 60g | 160g | 10 | 10.00g | - | Pierre |
| Fairy Rose | 100g | 290g | 12 | 15.83g | - | Pierre |
| Corn (Fall) | 150g | 50g | 14 | -7.14g | 4 days | Pierre (continues from summer) |
| Wheat | 10g | 25g | 4 | 3.75g | - | Pierre |
| Bok Choy | 50g | 70g | 4 | 5.00g | - | Pierre |
| Turnip | 60g | 60g | 6 | 0.00g | - | Pierre |
| Spinach | 20g | 20g | 6 | 0.00g | - | Pierre (Year 2+) |
| Amaranth | 70g | 70g | 7 | 0.00g | - | Pierre |
Best Fall Crop: Cranberry has the highest total profit per seed due to multiple harvests with 2 berries each. With 6 harvests of 2 berries, a single cranberry plant yields 1,560g minus the 240g seed cost for 1,320g net profit. Pumpkin has the best single-harvest gold per day at 16.92g.
How Do Fertilizers Affect Crop Quality?
Fertilizers can dramatically increase your crop profits. They are applied before planting and remain in the soil for the entire season. If a crop is harvested and replanted, the fertilizer remains.
| Fertilizer | Effect | Cost | Source | Crafting Recipe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Fertilizer | Soil quality: +1 level (max Silver) | 100g | Pierre | 2 Sap |
| Quality Fertilizer | Soil quality: +2 levels (max Gold) | 150g | Pierre (Farming Lv 5) | 1 Fish, 2 Sap |
| Deluxe Fertilizer | Always Gold or Iridium quality | 200g | Pierre (Farming Lv 9) | 1 Iridium Bar, 1 Quartz, 40 Sap |
| Speed-Gro | Crops grow 10% faster | 100g | Pierre / Oasis | 1 Oak Resin, 1 Coral |
| Deluxe Speed-Gro | Crops grow 25% faster | 800g | Pierre (Farming Lv 7) | 1 Pine Tar, 1 Coral, 1 Fiber |
| Hyper Speed-Gro | Crops grow 33% faster | 500g | Qiโs Walnut Room (100 Qi Gems) | Cannot craft |
| Tree Fertilizer | Trees grow faster | 1,000g | Pierre | 5 Fiber, 1 Stone |
What Are the Fertilizer Quality Chances?
| Fertilizer | Normal | Silver | Gold | Iridium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | 97% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| Basic Fertilizer | 75% | 20% | 5% | 0% |
| Quality Fertilizer | 33% | 33% | 33% | 1% |
| Deluxe Fertilizer | 0% | 0% | 66% | 34% |
How Much Time Does Speed-Gro Save?
| Fertilizer | Days Saved on 13-Day Crop | Effective Growth |
|---|---|---|
| None | 0 days | 13 days |
| Speed-Gro (10%) | 1 day | 12 days |
| Deluxe Speed-Gro (25%) | 3 days | 10 days |
| Hyper Speed-Gro (33%) | 4 days | 9 days |
How Does Crop Quality Affect Prices?
Crops can grow at different quality levels, which multiply their sell price:
| Quality | Sell Price Multiplier | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 1.0x | White/default |
| Silver | 1.25x | Silver |
| Gold | 1.5x | Gold |
| Iridium | 2.0x | Purple |
With the Agriculturist profession (level 10 Farming, Tiller branch), all crops grow 10% faster. This stacks with Speed-Gro fertilizers. Combined with Deluxe Fertilizer, you can consistently produce gold and iridium quality crops.
Quality Price Examples (Cauliflower)
| Quality | Price |
|---|---|
| Normal | 175g |
| Silver | 218g |
| Gold | 262g |
| Iridium | 350g |
Quality Price Examples (Starfruit)
| Quality | Price |
|---|---|
| Normal | 750g |
| Silver | 937g |
| Gold | 1,125g |
| Iridium | 1,500g |
How Do Giant Crops Work?
Certain crops can grow into giant versions when planted in a 3x3 pattern with all nine tiles planted with the same crop. Giant crops occur randomly (approximately 1% chance per night per eligible 3x3 patch) and yield 15-21 of the regular crop when harvested.
Which Crops Can Become Giant?
| Crop | Season | Giant Crop Yield | Value (15 normal) | Value (21 iridium) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cauliflower | Spring | 15-21 | 2,625g | 7,350g |
| Melon | Summer | 15-21 | 3,750g | 10,500g |
| Pumpkin | Fall | 15-21 | 4,800g | 13,440g |
What Are the Giant Crop Requirements?
- All 9 tiles in a 3x3 area must be planted with the same eligible crop
- All 9 crops must be fully grown (not still growing)
- The 3x3 area must not overlap with another giant crop area
- Giant crops can only form on the farm (not in the greenhouse)
- The chance is approximately 1% per night per eligible 3x3 patch
How to Handle Seasonal Transitions?
When a season ends, all outdoor crops die and are replaced by dead crops that must be cleared with the scythe. Here are tips for managing transitions:
- Do not plant crops that will not mature before the season ends. Check the remaining days before planting.
- Use Speed-Gro to squeeze in an extra harvest at the end of a season.
- Save seeds for the next season rather than planting too late.
- Greenhouse crops are immune to seasonal changes and continue growing year-round.
What is the Last Day to Plant Each Crop?
| Season | Last Day to Plant | Crop |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Day 24 | Parsnip (harvests Day 28) |
| Spring | Day 25 | Potato (harvests Day 1 of summer - dies!) |
| Summer | Day 16 | Starfruit (harvests Day 28) |
| Summer | Day 19 | Melon (harvests Day 28) |
| Fall | Day 17 | Pumpkin (harvests Day 28) |
| Fall | Day 21 | Cranberry (first harvest Day 28) |
What Are the Best Greenhouse Crops?
The greenhouse allows you to grow any seasonโs crops year-round. This makes it incredibly valuable for maximizing profit. The best greenhouse crops depend on your processing setup:
Best Greenhouse Crops by Strategy
| Strategy | Best Crop | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Kegs (Wine) | Starfruit | Starfruit wine = 2,250g base, 3,150g with Artisan |
| Kegs (Wine) | Ancient Fruit | Ancient fruit wine = 1,750g base, 2,450g with Artisan |
| Preserves Jars | Starfruit | Starfruit jelly = 1,550g |
| Preserves Jars | Ancient Fruit | Ancient fruit preserves = 1,100g |
| Preserves Jars | Cranberry | Cranberry jelly = 290g (fast regrowth) |
| Raw Selling | Starfruit | 750g per fruit, harvests every 13 days |
| Bee Houses | Fairy Rose | Fairy Rose honey = 680g (most valuable honey) |
How to Layout the Greenhouse Efficiently?
- Plant Ancient Fruit along the center walkway for easy harvesting
- Use Iridium Sprinklers to automate watering (each covers 24 tiles)
- Place kegs or preserves jars around the perimeter for processing
- Keep a small section for seasonal crops you need for bundles or gifts
Complete Multi-Harvest Profitability Table
This table shows the total profit per seed over an entire season when planted on Day 1:
| Crop | Seed Cost | Harvests | Total Yield | Total Revenue | Net Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strawberry (Spring) | 100g | 6 | 6 fruit | 720g | 620g |
| Blueberry (Summer) | 80g | 4 | 12 berries | 1,800g | 1,720g |
| Cranberry (Fall) | 240g | 6 | 12 berries | 1,560g | 1,320g |
| Hot Pepper (Summer) | 40g | 7 | 7 peppers | 280g | 240g |
| Tomato (Summer) | 50g | 4 | 4 tomatoes | 240g | 190g |
| Eggplant (Fall) | 20g | 5 | 5 eggplants | 300g | 280g |
| Grape (Fall) | 60g | 5 | 5 grapes | 400g | 340g |
| Green Bean (Spring) | 60g | 5 | 5 beans | 200g | 140g |
| Corn (Summer-Fall) | 150g | 8 | 8 corn | 400g | 250g |
| Hops (Summer) | 60g | 17 | 17 hops | 425g | 365g |
Note: Hops and corn can span two seasons, increasing their total harvests significantly.
Data Sources: All game data in this guide is based on the official Stardew Valley Wiki and verified against game version 1.6.