This guide collects the growth cycles, seed prices, sale prices, and daily profits of all major crops across the four seasons to help you plan each season's planting scientifically. Profit data is calculated based on regular quality with no bonuses.
Daily profit = (sale price × number of harvests - seed price) ÷ total growth days. Multi-harvest crops are calculated over a full 28-day season, including the initial growth + multiple regrowths. High-quality and processed products (wine, pickles) can be significantly higher than the values in the table.
In Stardew Valley, every harvested crop carries a quality grade that directly determines the sale price multiplier. Regular quality is the base price, silver star ×1.25, gold star ×1.5, iridium star ×2.0. Iridium-star crops are also often used as NPC "loved" gifts or premium options for Community Center bundles. Quality is jointly determined by two factors: Farming skill level and the fertilizer used.
| Quality | Sale Price Multiplier | Main Source | Typical Probability (Farming 10 + Quality Fertilizer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | ×1.0 | No fertilizer / low skill | About 10% |
| Silver Star ★ | ×1.25 | Basic Fertilizer / medium skill | About 20% |
| Gold Star ★★ | ×1.5 | Basic/Quality Fertilizer + high skill | About 30% |
| Iridium Star ★★★ | ×2.0 | Quality Fertilizer + Farming 10 | About 40% |
Fertilizer is applied to the soil before sowing and determines the crop's quality distribution or growth speed. The same fertilizer persists until the next season's crops rot, so you can lay it down at the end of the previous season. There are four types of fertilizer, each with clear use cases:
| Fertilizer | Recipe | Unlock Condition | Effect | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Fertilizer | 2 Sap | Farming level 1 | Increases gold-star chance | Large-scale year-one use, low cost |
| Quality Fertilizer | 2 Sap + 1 Fish | Farming level 9 | Significantly increases iridium-star chance | Multi-harvest crops, gift crops |
| Speed-Gro | 1 Truffle Oil + 1 Sap | Farming level 8 | Growth speed +10% | Squeezing extra harvest cycles from single-harvest high-value crops |
| Deluxe Speed-Gro | 1 Truffle Oil + 1 Oak Resin | Farming level 8 (buy from Pierre) | Growth speed +25% | High-value single-harvest crops like Starfruit and Sweet Gem Berry |
| Retaining Soil | 2 Stone | Farming level 7 | Retains moisture overnight | Saves energy early on when you have no sprinklers |
| Quality Retaining Soil | 1 Stone + 1 Clay | Farming level 7 | 100% moisture retention | Ultimate solution for areas without sprinklers |
Fertilizer can coexist with sprinklers: apply the fertilizer first, then place the sprinkler, then sow. Note that once fertilizer is applied, removing the soil will remove the fertilizer too, so plan the layout before operating.
| Crop | Seed Price | Growth (days) | Regrow (days) | Sale Price | Daily Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsnip | 20G | 4 | — | 35G | 3.75G |
| Cauliflower | 80G | 12 | — | 175G | 7.9G |
| Potato | 50G | 6 | — | 80G | 5.0G |
| Tulip | 20G | 6 | — | 30G | 1.7G |
| Rhubarb | 100G | 13 | — | 220G | 9.2G |
| Garlic | 40G | 4 | — | 60G | 5.0G |
| Strawberry ★ | 100G | 8 | 4 | 120G | ~19.6G |
| Green Bean | 60G | 10 | 3 | 40G | ~6.3G |
Strawberry is the strongest multi-harvest crop in spring, but its seeds can only be bought after the Spring 13 Egg Festival. Plant sparingly in year one and save seeds to plant on Spring 1 of year two. In year one, focus on Cauliflower + Potato.
| Crop | Seed Price | Growth (days) | Regrow (days) | Sale Price | Daily Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melon | 80G | 12 | — | 250G | 14.2G |
| Blueberry ★ | 80G | 13 | 4 | 50G (×3) | ~20.8G |
| Hot Pepper | 40G | 5 | 3 | 40G | ~11.1G |
| Corn | 150G | 14 | 4 | 50G | ~5.0G |
| Hops ★ | 60G | 11 | 3 | 25G | ~12.5G |
| Sunflower | 125G | 8 | — | 80G | ~7.5G |
| Tomato | 50G | 11 | 4 | 60G | ~9.5G |
| Radish | 40G | 6 | — | 90G | 8.3G |
| Starfruit ★ | 400G | 13 | 4 | 750G | ~49.4G |
Starfruit is the profit king of summer—brewed into wine, the unit price reaches 2,250G—but the seeds are expensive and require unlocking the Desert. Blueberries are reliably productive and easy to manage, making them the top pick for beginners. Hops offer extremely high wine profit but require a trellis and daily harvesting, which is time-consuming.
| Crop | Seed Price | Growth (days) | Regrow (days) | Sale Price | Daily Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin ★ | 100G | 13 | — | 320G | 16.9G |
| Cranberry ★ | 240G | 7 | 5 | 75G (×2) | ~19.7G |
| Eggplant | 20G | 5 | 5 | 60G | ~9.6G |
| Grape | 60G | 10 | 4 | 80G | ~12.0G |
| Yam | 60G | 10 | — | 160G | 10.0G |
| Amaranth | 70G | 7 | — | 150G | 11.4G |
| Artichoke | 30G | 8 | — | 160G | 16.3G |
| Melon (Fall) | — | — | — | — | Summer only |
Pumpkin has the highest per-plant profit and is a top-tier wine ingredient (Pumpkin wine 720G); Cranberry offers stable multi-harvest production, suited to large-scale planting. The combination of the two is the fall golden combo.
The following crops are not season-bound and can be planted year-round in the Greenhouse or Desert Farm:
| Crop | Seed Price | Growth (days) | Regrow (days) | Sale Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Fruit ★ | — | 28 | 7 | 550G | Top-tier wine ingredient; requires Ancient Seed |
| Cactus Fruit | 150G | 12 | 4 | 75G | Desert Farm only |
| Sweet Gem Berry ★ | 1,000G | 24 | — | 3,000G | Highest per-plant profit; fall only |
| Fruit Tree | — | 28 | 7 | 50G+ | Must be planted in a 3×3 obstacle-free area |
Ancient Seeds are obtained by donating to the Museum. After planting, they mature in 28 days and then produce fruit every 7 days. Brewed into wine, the unit price is 2,310G—the king of late-game passive income. Planting the entire Greenhouse with Ancient Fruit is recommended.
Processing crops into wine / juice / pickles can significantly boost profits:
| Processing Method | Equipment | Time | Sale Price Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit Wine | Keg | About 7 days | ×3 (regular) |
| Beer / Mead | Keg | About 1–2 days | Fixed price |
| Juice | Preserves Jar | About 3 days | ×2.25 |
| Pickle | Preserves Jar | About 3 days | ×2.25 |
| Season | Beginner Recommendation | High-Profit Choice | Brewing-Specific |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🌸 Spring | Potato / Parsnip | Cauliflower / Strawberry | Rhubarb, Strawberry |
| ☀️ Summer | Hot Pepper / Blueberry | Melon / Starfruit | Hops, Starfruit |
| 🍂 Fall | Eggplant / Cranberry | Pumpkin / Sweet Gem Berry | Pumpkin, Cranberry |
| 🏠 Greenhouse | — | — | Ancient Fruit |
Planting layout is not just about putting crops in the ground—it must also account for watering efficiency, harvest paths, processing equipment placement, and scarecrow coverage. A good layout can save you more than 30% of your daily energy and time. Three core principles:
With a Quality Sprinkler at the center, plant crops in the 8 surrounding tiles; four 3×3 blocks share one scarecrow. This layout requires only 4 sprinklers + 1 scarecrow per 36-tile planting zone, the most common mid-scale solution for summer and fall of year one.
The Greenhouse is the only place in Stardew Valley where you can plant year-round. Once restored, it has a 12×10 planting area of 120 tiles and requires no watering (built-in irrigation). The Greenhouse is the core of late-game passive income—used correctly, daily income can exceed 5000G. The two core choices for Greenhouse planting are Ancient Fruit vs. Starfruit.
| Crop | Growth Cycle | Per-Plant Sale Price | Wine Sale Price | Daily Profit (Full Greenhouse) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Fruit ★ | 28 days to mature / 7-day regrow | 550G | 2,310G | ~3,960G/day |
| Starfruit ★ | 13 days / 4-day regrow | 750G | 2,250G | ~5,000G+/day |
| Hops | 11 days / 3-day regrow | 25G | 300G (Pale Ale) | ~3,600G/day |
Processing is the core link in crop value-add, but not all crops are worth processing. The judgment criterion is "profit per unit time": a Keg has a 7-day cycle, a Preserves Jar a 3-day cycle. With the same +125% value-add, the Preserves Jar's turnover is 2.3 times that of the Keg, so low-value crops are actually more cost-effective in Preserves Jars, while high-value crops yield higher absolute value in Kegs.
| Crop | Raw Sale Price | Processing Method | Product Sale Price | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starfruit | 750G | Keg | 2,250G | ★★★★★ Ultimate |
| Ancient Fruit | 550G | Keg | 1,650G | ★★★★★ Greenhouse top pick |
| Pumpkin | 320G | Keg | 900G | ★★★★ Fall mainstay |
| Strawberry | 120G | Keg | 360G | ★★★ Spring option |
| Blueberry | 50G | Preserves Jar | ~113G | ★★★ Only worth it at scale |
| Cranberry | 75G | Preserves Jar | ~169G | ★★★★ Fast turnover |
| Potato / Corn | 50G / 50G | Preserves Jar | ~113G | ★★ Low-value recovery |
| Hops | 25G | Keg (Pale Ale) | 300G | ★★★★ Mass production |
A 2:1 ratio of Kegs to Preserves Jars is recommended. Kegs handle high-value crops (Starfruit, Ancient Fruit, Pumpkin); Preserves Jars handle low-value crops (Blueberry, Cranberry, Potato). Combined with the Artisan skill (+40% processed-good sale price), the overall processing return climbs another notch. With a full Greenhouse of Ancient Fruit, you need at least 60 Kegs to digest the output.