Best Summer Crops in Stardew Valley (Ranked)
Stardew Valley has a plethora of awesome activities for its players, including some classic farming. Once you hit the summer seasons, there will be quite a few crops to decide from – but some of them prove far more beneficial or profitable than others.
The best summer crops in Stardew Valley include Wheat, Radish, Tomato, Hot Pepper, Coffee Beans, Hops, Red Cabbage, Melon, Blueberries, and Starfruit. Corn, Poppy, Sunflower, and Summer Spangle may be necessary in some cases but are not considered that useful or profitable compared to other crops.
Although Stardew Valley features a vast selection of crops for players to grow, some of them can be incredibly advantageous throughout the game. Stick around to find out about the best summer crops in Stardew Valley, as well as how to grow them and why they’re worth the effort.
10 Best Summer Crops In Stardew Valley (Ranked)
By the time players reach the summer season, they should be somewhat familiar with the basics of the game. The grass will be green, with butterflies happily flying around the area – but, spring crops would have likely passed on by this point.
The best-case scenario is that players have managed to save up some extra money to spend on seeds, and have already upgraded the farming necessary tools. It’s time to plant some new summer crops – many of which can rake in some awesome profits in the process!
Most of the crops on this list can be purchased from Pierre’s shop, while others can be acquired from the Traveling Merchant and numerous other locations in the game. Still, a large portion of the best summer crops in Stardew Valley are pretty easy to obtain and can net players awesome gains over time.
We’ve outlined everything you need to know about the best summer crops in Stardew Valley, as well as which summer crops you may want to avoid, with images and figures thanks to Game Rant.
10. Wheat
Wheat may not be the most profitable summer crop in the game, as it does sell for the lowers base price of 25g. But, wheat can still be incredibly useful for a variety of purposes.
| Summer Crop | Wheat |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 10g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 4 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 25g |
It can be ground down into flour and used to craft artisanal items. Wheat flour is an ingredient in a range of recipes and will allow players to cook or bake endless tasty treats and delicious desserts for their characters in Stardew Valley – or even for NPCs around the general area.
9. Radish
Radish crops are delicious vegetables that flaunt a profit of 90g per crop. This may not seem like much, but the seeds for Radish crops are pretty inexpensive. Considering that Radish costs a base price of 40g and nets a base price of 90g, players can rake in 50g profit per crop overall.
| Summer Crop | Radish |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 40g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 6 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 90g |
This is in addition to the fact that once players get a higher farming level, higher quality radish will bring in even more profit. It’s a really affordable and profitable summer crop to start off with for just about any Stardew Valley player.
8. Tomato
Tomatoes are probably not the best summer crops for players seeking quick profits in the game, as they typically sell for around the same price that they cost. But, considering that these crops do not need to be replanted, they can really turn over some great profits in the long run.
| Summer Crop | Tomato |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 50g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 11 days, then 4 days |
| Harvest Type | Multiple harvests |
| Base Selling Price | 60g |
The reward for selling a tomato will always be at least 60g or more. But, players cannot harvest tomatoes as often as they can with some other multiple harvest summer crops in the game.
7. Hot Pepper
Hot pepper seeds have a similar buying and selling price, which may seem like they’ll be less profitable. But, these crops grow pretty quickly, and players may be able to harvest hot peppers approximately 8 times during one summer season – that’s double the number of corn harvests.
| Summer Crop | Hot Pepper |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 40g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 5 days, then 3 days |
| Harvest Type | Multiple harvests |
| Base Selling Price | 40g |
Still, hot peppers are not the best crop to grow if you’re solely seeking profits. But, they make incredible ingredients in various recipes. Players can use hot pepper to cook Pepper Poppers when combined with cheese – a food item that increases speed allowing players to get more done within the day.
6. Coffee Beans
Coffee beans are a really great option for anyone hoping to turn in some profits really quickly. The upfront payment is quite costly since the seeds for these beans cost 2,500g per pack and crops are worth 15g each. But, each crop typically drops 4 beans – bringing it up to 45g.
| Summer Crop | Coffee Beans |
| Where To Buy | Traveling Cart Slaying Dust Sprites |
| Cost (Lowest) | 2,500g at Traveling Cart |
| Growth Time | 10 days, then 2 days |
| Harvest Type | Multiple harvests |
| Base Selling Price | 15g |
Players can also plant the beans that are dropped, and coffee plants do not need to be replanted. Additionally, coffee is an amazing consumable item in the game, since it increases speed and enables players to be far more productive.
Speed boosts can last even longer if coffee beans are paired with the Triple Shot Espresso recipe. All in all, coffee beans are excellent for both profits and general use in Stardew Valley.
5. Hops
Hops may only sell for a mere 25g, but they grow incredibly fast after the initial growth cycle. Once hops plants are completely mature, they will produce only 25g per harvest – but, they can be harvested every day.
| Summer Crop | Hops |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 60g at Traveling Cart and 125g at JojaMart |
| Growth Time | 11 days, then 1 day |
| Harvest Type | Multiple harvests |
| Base Selling Price | 25g |
This gives them up to 17 potential harvests throughout the summer season. Excess harvested hops can also be kept and used to create Pale Ale by placing it inside Kegs, and Pale Ale can bring in some awesome additional profits over time.
4. Melon
Melons do have a rather limited number of harvests per summer season, but their base selling price is what makes them worthwhile. Melons sell for a whopping 250g each, while the initial cost is only a base price of 80g.
| Summer Crop | Melon |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 80g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 12 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 250g |
If you’re willing to be patient, melons can really be an amazing option. They also have a chance to grow into a giant crop, which will drop a large number of melons when they are mined with an axe. This chance makes growing melons extra special, and possibly insanely profitable as well.
3. Red Cabbage
Similar to melons, red cabbage will take quite some time to grow until it can be harvested. But, it can be harvested up to 3 times each summer season meaning they are worth it if you’re keen on being patient.
| Summer Crop | Red Cabbage |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market on Year 2 |
| Cost (Lowest) | 100g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 9 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 260g |
This harvesting frequency and higher selling price make them slightly better than melons, as it will net more base profits overall. While they are only worth 10g more than melons, the guaranteed profits are still higher – although, melons may be your best bet if you’re keen on the chance of giant crops.
2. Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the top picks for summer crops concerning the potential for profits, as this berry is extremely useful for raking in some easy cash. Each blueberry harvest will produce 3 blueberries from only one plant, and each berry will sell for a base price of 50g.
| Summer Crop | Blueberries |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 80g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 13 days, then 4 days |
| Harvest Type | Multiple harvests |
| Base Selling Price | 50g |
This means that players will net 150g from just one blueberry plant – almost double the initial buying price. In addition, blueberries actually regrow making them a once-off investment for farmers.
Players will be able to continue netting 150g per blueberry plant harvest throughout the summer – that’s some seriously awesome profits! Blueberries also make some decently priced wine when they are placed inside a Keg.
1. Starfruit
Starfruit is considered to be the best summer crop in Stardew Valley overall. While they take the longest to grow out of all the summer crops available in the game, they are worth a staggering base price of 750g – at least! This is not to mention that with a higher farming level, an iridium starfruit can rake in at least 1,500g each.
| Summer Crop | Starfruit |
| Where To Buy | Oasis Traveling Cart |
| Cost (Lowest) | 400g at Oasis |
| Growth Time | 13 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 750g |
So, although it will take time, these crops are definitely worth the wait – all the more if you’re willing to grind your farming levels for the chance of higher quality crops. In addition, starfruit can be used to create Starfruit Wine when they are used inside a Keg, which is the highest priced wine in the entire game.
A single bottle of Starfruit Wine will sell for 2250g as a base price. This price can even be boosted further once Casks and the Farmhouse basement are unlocked, as the wine can be aged to increase the quality, bringing it to the level of iridium.
Summer Crops To Avoid
Generally speaking, flowers are some of the ‘worst’ crops to grow in summer as they typically net quite low profits – if any at all. But, these crops may still have a few specific uses for players.
Corn
Corn is not really a good crop to invest in if you’re looking for upfront profits, as the seeds are more expensive than their profits. But, it can be worthwhile if you’re willing to take a long-term investment approach since corn has an elongated lifespan.
| Summer Crop | Corn |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 150g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 14 days, then 4 days |
| Harvest Type | Multiple harvests |
| Base Selling Price | 50g |
Corn has great longevity, as it lasts all summer meaning that these crops will outlive a lot of other crops that need to be replanted. Additionally, corn can be used to make cooking oil, making it useful in many recipes.
Poppy
Most flowers in Stardew Valley are not profitable, and Poppy is no exception. Poppy seeds are quite expensive, but their crops can be useful in specific situations. Although, they do not make good gifts since pretty much all NPCs in the game hate poppies – except Penny.
| Summer Crop | Poppy |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 100g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 7 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 140g |
The seeds do not cost more than they sell for, so players may still be able to make some profit overall without planting more consistently. Still, it’s not the ideal choice for anyone wanting the best profits or benefits in the game.
Sunflower
Players seeking to rake in some great profits should definitely steer clear of sunflowers, as they do not bring in that much return on investment considering their growth cycle time and base selling price. But, sunflowers may be useful in specific situations.
| Summer Crop | Sunflower |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | Starting at 100g from the Traveling Cart, and 125g at JojaMart |
| Growth Time | 8 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 80g |
Sunflowers make the best gifts for the NPCs around the valley – almost all NPCs love receiving them. These flowers can also produce a lot of sunflower seeds if used correctly, which can be used to create sunflower oil for cooking purposes.
Summer Spangle
These crops don’t bring in the best profit for players – but, they don’t take too much upfront fees since the seeds are quite affordable. Almost every character in the game enjoys receiving Summer Spangle as a gift.
| Summer Crop | Summer Spangle |
| Where To Buy | Pierre’s General Store Traveling Cart JojaMart Night Market |
| Cost (Lowest) | 50g at Pierre’s |
| Growth Time | 8 days |
| Harvest Type | Single harvest |
| Base Selling Price | 90g |
Since they are cheap and look beautiful, they can be planted in large numbers to impress your favorite NPCs in the game. But, their best use is probably when they are planted next to Bee Houses to make Summer Spangle Honey.
Stardew Valley flaunts a range of amazing summer crops for its players to grow and enjoy, and while some are more profitable than others, they all have their uses. Whether you’re looking to indulge with a green thumb or are looking to rake in some cash and get your character in the green, there’s definitely a summer crop that’s perfectly matched to your needs.