Summer Crops Guide
Summer offers the most diverse and profitable crop options in Stardew Valley. With access to the Calico Desert and its Oasis shop, you can grow starfruit for massive profits. This guide covers every summer crop in extreme detail with profit optimization strategies.
Summer Crop Overview
| Crop | Seed Cost | Sell Price | Growth Days | Regrowth | Total Harvests (Day 1) | Seed Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melon | 80g | 250g | 12 | - | 2 | Pierre |
| Blueberry | 80g | 150g (x3) | 13 | 4 days | 4 | Pierre |
| Tomato | 50g | 60g | 11 | 4 days | 4 | Pierre |
| Hot Pepper | 40g | 40g | 5 | 3 days | 7 | Pierre |
| Starfruit | 400g | 750g | 13 | - | 2 | Oasis |
| Corn | 150g | 50g | 14 | 4 days | 5+ | Pierre |
| Hops | 60g | 25g | 11 | 1 day | 17 | Pierre |
| Red Cabbage | 100g | 260g | 9 | - | 3 | Pierre (Year 2+) |
| Radish | 40g | 90g | 6 | - | 4 | Pierre |
| Wheat | 10g | 25g | 4 | - | 7 | Pierre |
| Spangle | 50g | 60g | 8 | - | 3 | Pierre (Year 2+) |
| Poppy | 100g | 140g | 7 | - | 3 | Pierre |
Melon
Melons are one of the most profitable summer crops available from Pierre. They can also grow into giant crops in a 3x3 planting pattern.
Detailed Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed Cost | 80g |
| Normal Sell | 250g |
| Silver Sell | 312g |
| Gold Sell | 375g |
| Iridium Sell | 500g |
| Growth Time | 12 days |
| Gold per Day | 14.17g |
| Farming XP | 32 per harvest |
| Giant Crop | Yes (3x3 pattern, ~1% chance/night) |
Best Uses
- Sell for excellent profit (best single-harvest from Pierre)
- Save gold-quality for the Community Center Quality Crops Bundle
- Use in cooking: Fruit Salad, Melon Pancakes
- Giant crops yield 15-21 melons (worth 3,750-10,500g depending on quality)
Tips
Plant melons on Day 1 for a harvest on Day 13. A second planting on Day 13 will mature on Day 25, giving you two full harvests per season. Plant in 3x3 blocks for giant crop chances. Melons are also a loved gift for several villagers.
Blueberry
Blueberries are a staple summer crop. Each harvest produces 3 berries (not 1), making their actual profit per harvest much higher than the listed sell price suggests.
Detailed Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed Cost | 80g |
| Normal Sell | 150g per berry (3 per harvest = 450g) |
| Silver Sell | 187g per berry |
| Gold Sell | 225g per berry |
| Iridium Sell | 300g per berry |
| Growth Time | 13 days, then regrows every 4 days |
| Total Harvests (Day 1) | Up to 4 |
| Farming XP | 12 per harvest (per berry) |
Best Uses
- Sell for steady multi-harvest income (best Pierre crop for total profit)
- Use in preserves jars for blueberry jelly (150g base)
- Use in cooking: Blueberry Pie, Blueberry Tart
- Feed to animals who like fruit
Tips
With 4 harvests of 3 berries each, a single blueberry plant produces approximately 1,800g in berries, minus the 80g seed cost, for a net profit of 1,720g per plant. This makes blueberries the most profitable crop from Pierreโs shop in terms of total seasonal profit. Plant on Day 1 for maximum harvests.
Starfruit
Starfruit is the most profitable crop in the game when processed into wine. Seeds cost 400g each and are only available from the Oasis in the Calico Desert.
Desert Access Requirements
To reach the Oasis, you must first repair the bus stop. There are two ways:
| Method | Cost | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Community Center Vault Bundle | 2,500g + 5,000g + 10,000g | Complete 3 vault bundles |
| Joja Mart Bus Stop Project | 40,000g | Buy Joja membership (5,000g) |
After repairing the bus, take the bus to the desert (costs 500g per trip). The Oasis shop is open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Detailed Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed Cost | 400g |
| Normal Sell | 750g |
| Silver Sell | 937g |
| Gold Sell | 1,125g |
| Iridium Sell | 1,500g |
| Growth Time | 13 days |
| Gold per Day (raw) | 26.92g |
| Wine Value | 2,250g (3,150g with Artisan) |
| Jelly Value | 1,550g |
| Farming XP | 48 per harvest |
Starfruit Wine Strategy
Starfruit wine is the foundation of the most profitable farming strategy in the game. A single keg takes approximately 6.75 days to process starfruit into wine.
| Processing | Base Value | Artisan (+40%) | Gold per Day (keg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw sell | 750g | - | 26.92g |
| Wine | 2,250g | 3,150g | 233.33g (Artisan) |
| Jelly | 1,550g | - | 119.23g |
Tips
Plant starfruit on Day 1 for a harvest on Day 14. A second planting on Day 14 matures on Day 27, giving you two harvests per season. With Deluxe Speed-Gro, you can fit in 3 harvests. Always process starfruit into wine for maximum profit.
Hot Pepper
Hot peppers regrow quickly and make excellent gifts for certain villagers (Shane loves them). They are also used in cooking recipes.
Detailed Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed Cost | 40g |
| Normal Sell | 40g |
| Silver Sell | 50g |
| Gold Sell | 60g |
| Iridium Sell | 80g |
| Growth Time | 5 days, then regrows every 3 days |
| Total Harvests (Day 1) | Up to 7 |
| Farming XP | 6 per harvest |
Best Uses
- Gift to Shane (loved gift)
- Use in cooking: Pepper Poppers, Spicy Eel, Salsa
- Sell in bulk for modest profit
Tips
While raw sell price equals seed cost, the sheer number of harvests (up to 7 per season) and their usefulness as gifts and cooking ingredients make them worthwhile. Plant a row of 10-20 hot peppers for a steady supply of gift items.
Hops
Hops have a very low raw sell price but are incredibly valuable when processed in a keg. Hops grow back every day after the initial 11-day growth period.
Detailed Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed Cost | 60g |
| Normal Sell | 25g |
| Pale Ale (keg) | 400g (560g with Artisan) |
| Growth Time | 11 days, then regrows every 1 day |
| Total Harvests (Day 1) | Up to 17 |
| Farming XP | 5 per harvest |
Best Uses
- Process into Pale Ale in kegs (400g base, 560g with Artisan)
- One of the best keg crops alongside starfruit and ancient fruit
- Excellent for players with many kegs
Hops Multi-Harvest Optimization
With 17 harvests of 25g each, raw selling yields 425g - 60g = 365g profit per plant. However, processing all 17 hops into Pale Ale yields 6,800g - 60g = 6,740g per plant (or 9,440g with Artisan). This makes hops one of the most profitable crops per tile when combined with kegs.
Corn
Corn is unique because it spans both summer and fall seasons. If planted in summer, it continues growing into fall without dying.
Detailed Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed Cost | 150g |
| Normal Sell | 50g |
| Silver Sell | 62g |
| Gold Sell | 75g |
| Iridium Sell | 100g |
| Growth Time | 14 days, then regrows every 4 days |
| Total Harvests (Summer-Fall) | Up to 8 |
| Farming XP | 8 per harvest |
Best Uses
- Save gold-quality corn for the Community Center Quality Crops Bundle
- Use in cooking: Tortillas, Fish Tacos, Escargot
- Cross-season crop for continuous harvests
Red Cabbage
Red cabbage is only available starting in Year 2 from Pierreโs General Store.
Detailed Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed Cost | 100g |
| Normal Sell | 260g |
| Silver Sell | 325g |
| Gold Sell | 390g |
| Iridium Sell | 520g |
| Growth Time | 9 days |
| Gold per Day | 17.78g |
| Farming XP | 26 per harvest |
Best Uses
- Sell for excellent profit (highest gold/day of any Pierre summer crop)
- Use in cooking: Superior Stir Fry, Red Cabbage Salad
- Save one for the Quality Crops Bundle
Summer Foraging Items
| Item | Sell Price | Energy Restored | Health Restored | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grape | 80g | 28 | 11 | Forest, Farm |
| Spice Berry | 80g | 20 | 8 | Forest, Backwoods |
| Sweet Pea | 50g | 11 | 5 | Forest, Town |
Summer forage items respawn daily and are needed for the Community Center Summer Foraging Bundle (requires one of each).
Recommended Summer Schedule
| Week | Action | Crops |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (Day 1) | Plant main crops | Melons, Blueberries, Starfruit |
| Week 1 (Day 5) | Quick crops | Hot Peppers, Radishes |
| Week 2 (Day 11) | Start hops | Hops (for keg users) |
| Week 2 (Day 13-14) | First harvests | Melons, Starfruit (replant) |
| Week 3 (Day 17) | Blueberry harvest | Blueberries (continue) |
| Week 3 (Day 25) | Second harvests | Melons, Starfruit (replant if time) |
| Week 4 (Day 28) | Final harvests | All remaining crops |
Summer Crop Profit Comparison (Full Season, Day 1 Plant)
| Crop | Seed Cost | Total Revenue | Net Profit | Best Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starfruit (2 harvests) | 800g | 1,500g | 700g | Wine: 6,300g (Artisan) |
| Blueberry (4 harvests x3) | 80g | 1,800g | 1,720g | Jelly: 2,320g |
| Melon (2 harvests) | 160g | 500g | 340g | Wine: 1,400g (Artisan) |
| Hops (17 harvests) | 60g | 425g | 365g | Pale Ale: 9,440g (Artisan) |
| Red Cabbage (3 harvests) | 300g | 780g | 480g | Raw selling |
| Hot Pepper (7 harvests) | 40g | 280g | 240g | Gifts/cooking |
| Corn (5 harvests) | 150g | 250g | 100g | Cooking/bundle |
Summer Crop FAQ
When Should I Plant Starfruit?
Plant starfruit on Day 1 of summer for the maximum number of harvests. With Deluxe Speed-Gro, you can fit in 3 harvests. Without fertilizer, you get 2 harvests (Day 14 and Day 27). Always process starfruit into wine for maximum profit.
How Do I Access the Desert?
Repair the bus stop by completing the Community Center Vault bundles (2,500g + 5,000g + 10,000g = 17,500g total) or by purchasing the Joja Mart Bus Stop project for 40,000g. Then take the bus to the desert for 500g per trip.
Are Hops Worth Growing?
Hops have a terrible raw sell price (25g) but are incredibly valuable when processed into Pale Ale in kegs. With 17 harvests per season, a single hops plant produces 17 Pale Ales worth 6,800g (or 9,440g with Artisan). If you have many kegs, hops are one of the best crops in the game.
Should I Grow Corn?
Corn is not very profitable on its own, but it has two advantages: it spans two seasons (summer to fall) and is needed for the Quality Crops Bundle. If you have extra space, plant corn in late summer so it continues producing into fall.
What About Wheat?
Wheat is cheap (10g seed cost) and has a short 4-day growth cycle. It is not very profitable raw, but can be processed into beer in kegs (300g per beer, 420g with Artisan). Wheat is also useful for flour in cooking recipes.
Summer Crop Tips for Year 1 vs Year 2+
Year 1 Strategy
| Week | Focus | Crops |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Melons and blueberries | As many as affordable |
| Week 1 | Hot peppers | For gifts and cooking |
| Week 2 | Starfruit (if desert access) | Maximum investment |
| Week 2-4 | Harvest and process | Wine, jelly, raw selling |
Year 2+ Strategy
| Week | Focus | Crops |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | All crops at once | Starfruit, Melons, Blueberries, Red Cabbage |
| Week 1 | Hops (for keg users) | Maximum hops planting |
| Week 2-4 | Harvest and process | Maximum artisan production |
| End of summer | Save gold for fall | Pumpkin and cranberry seeds |