The popular game Stardew Valley is a farming sim, so it has a large selection of crops to choose from. Each season has its own possible produce, and the player can obtain the seeds in many different ways, including shopping, fishing, and fighting mobs.
But because the game is open-ended and there are plenty of choices, it may be hard for players to decide which crops to plant. While a player should plant all the crops at least once in order to fulfill in-game requirements, there are some crops that are more useful than others, and therefore more worth planting often.
Melon
As one of the main summer crops, melons take 12 days to harvest. The long wait is worth it because a single melon can sell for between 250 and 550 gold depending on the quality and the player’s skills, and the crop provides a good amount of energy and health if the player needs some in a pinch.
If the player wants to befriend or romance Penny, melons are a perfect gift because she loves them. Demetrius also wants a melon in the “Crop Research” Quest, and melons can be used in the Summer Crops Bundle and Quality Crops Bundle. The most interesting aspect about this crop is that it is one of only three crops that has a 1% chance to become a Giant Crop, which drops multiple items when harvested by an axe.
Green Bean
Green beans are the only spring trellis crop, which means it is especially useful early in the game. It is able to be harvested after 10 days. While each single plant produces only one green bean at a time, it continues producing throughout the season every three days. Only two green beans are necessary to make a Bean Hotpot, which adds a little bit of health and energy. This easy-to-make meal also adds to the player’s max energy and magnetism radius.
The crop can also be used in the Spring Crops Bundle and the remixed Quality Crops Bundle. Also, while nobody in the game loves green beans, most of the villagers like the gift. The player needs to be careful about where they plant this crop because they cannot walk through trellis crops.
Hot Pepper
After only five days, Pepper Seeds produce hot peppers, which regrow every three days for the rest of the summer season and also has a 3% chance of producing extra drops. Since hot peppers are a fruit crop, the player can use them to make wine.
With its high amount of produce, hot peppers can be used to make plenty of plates of Pepper Poppers and Spicy Eel, which are great for restoring health and energy. Shane and Lewis love this crop, and George wants it for the “Knee Therapy” Quest. Also, this crop is used for the Summer Crops Bundle and possibly the remixed Quality Crops Bundle.
Blueberry
While this summer crop does take 13 days to fully mature, blueberry crops produce multiple blueberries when harvested, and the crop regrows every four days. The large amount of blueberries a player can possibly get makes this crop perfect for artisan goods such as Blueberry Jelly and Blueberry Wine, and it can be used to make a Blueberry Tart or a Fruit Salad.
Some villagers like blueberries, but it is better to use the blueberries in artisan goods or meals. The crop can also be used in a couple bundles including the remixed Dye Bundle. Blueberries are also one of the crops that cannot be bought at JojaMart, but they can be bought at the other regular shops.
Grapes
Grapes are the fall season’s trellis crop, so players need to be careful when planting the crop since they cannot walk through it. But grapes are also one of the forageable items in the fall, which means the player has two ways to get this crop. This leads to a possible abundance of this crop in the fall that can then be used in artisan goods such as Grape Jelly and Grape Wine.
Besides being used in the Summer Foraging Bundle, grapes are sometimes needed at the “Help Wanted” board and can be used for tailoring. Also, Vincent loves grapes, so the crop is a perfect gift for him.
Sunflower
Sunflowers are a multi-seasonal crop, which means that sunflowers that are planted at the end of summer will continue to grow in fall without changing. When sunflowers are harvested after eight days, there is a chance that the crop will drop additional sunflower seeds that the player can either plant for more sunflowers or use to make oil.
If a sunflower is planted near a Bee House, the resulting honey will give the player more money if it is sold. The crop can be used in the Dye Bundle and the remixed Pantry’s Garden Bundle, and it can be used in tailoring as well. Players that want to befriend or romance Haley should use Sunflowers because she loves them.
Hops
If the player wants some quick cash early in the game, hops are the perfect crop to plant during the summer. Hops will mature after 11 days, but the crop will continue to produce for the rest of the season, and it only needs one day to regrow after harvest. With the large amount of produce and relatively cheap price of seeds, planting hops is a great way to raise a player’s farming experience.
Hops can be used to make Pale Ale if the player puts it in a Keg. Since Pale Ale is made in only 1 to 2 days and hops are easy to harvest, Pale Ale is one of the most profitable artisan goods. Along with being used in tailoring, hops can be used in the remixed Crafts Room’s Wild Medicine Bundle.
Wheat
While wheat seeds only produce once, they are an incredibly useful multi-seasonal crop. They only cost 10 gold at Pierre’s General Store and 12 gold at JojaMart, and the crop matures after only four days. Since it is a multi-seasonal crop, it can be planted at the end of Summer and continue to grow in fall. Because most tilled soil and fertilized ground usually resets each season, planting wheat can be a good way to make sure that the ground stays the same in fall.
Because harvested wheat has a 40% chance to also drop hay, wheat is a good crop for raising animals. If wheat is put in a Keg, it will produce Beer, and wheat can also be put in a Mill to create Wheat Flour. Besides being used in tailoring and in “Help Wanted” board quests, wheat can be used in the Fodder Bundle.
Corn
While corn takes 14 days to mature, the crop regrows every four days and is a multi-seasonal crop, which means the player will get plenty of corn if they plant corn seeds on the first day of Summer. If the player uses a seed maker, they can make make a lot of money by selling corn seeds since two packs of corn seeds are worth 150 gold.
Although none of the villagers love corn, most of the villagers like it so it is a fairly safe bet as a gift. With tailoring options and “Help Wanted” quests, Corn can also be used in the Fall Crops Bundle and the Quality Crops Bundle. The crop can also be used to make Tortillas.
Ancient Fruit
Ancient fruit is one of the more hidden crops in the game since the crop is not sold at Pierre’s General Store or JojaMart. Instead, the seeds must either be bought at the Traveling Cart or obtained by donating the Ancient Seed artifact to the museum. But this crop can be one of the best crops in the game, especially if the player has unlocked the Greenhouse on the farm.
While this crop takes a whole month to grow, it will grow in every season except winter, and it will continue to produce fruit after harvest every seven days. By itself, ancient fruit already sells for 550 to 1,210 gold, and it is worth even more if it is made into wine or jelly. This makes the plant extremely profitable, and it is also used in the Missing Bundle and the Rare Crops Bundle in the remixed Pantry.