🌾 Most Profitable Crops by Season

Complete gold-per-day analysis for every crop in Stardew Valley 1.6. Know exactly what to plant for maximum profit in Spring, Summer, and Fall.

✓ All Seasons Covered✓ Tiller/Artisan Bonuses✓ v1.6 Verified

⚡ Quick Answer: Best Crop Each Season

🌸 Spring

Strawberry

~21g/day (Egg Festival seeds)

Alt: Rhubarb for wine

☀️ Summer

Starfruit

26.9g/day (Wine = 2,250g)

Alt: Blueberry for raw

🍂 Fall

Pumpkin

16.9g/day (Giant Crop)

Alt: Sweet Gem Berry

Understanding Crop Profitability

Raw sell price is just one factor. To truly compare crops, you need to calculate gold per day:

PROFIT FORMULA
Gold/Day = (Sell Price - Seed Cost) ÷ Growth Days

For regrowable crops (Strawberry, Blueberry, Cranberry), factor in all harvests across the season. For processed goods, include the Keg/Jar processing time. See our Keg vs Jar guide for processing calculations.

🌸 Spring Crops Ranked (28 Days)

CropSell PriceSeed CostGrowthGold/DayNotes
Strawberry120g100g8d (regrows 4d)~21g/dayEgg Festival only. 5 harvests if planted Day 1
Rhubarb220g100g13d9.2g/dayOasis only. Wine = 660g (94g/day after Keg time)
Cauliflower175g80g12d7.9g/dayCan become Giant Crop (x2 yield)
Coffee Bean15g (×4)2,500g10d (regrows 2d)~24g/dayTraveling Cart. Makes Coffee (Speed +1)
Potato80g50g6d5g/day25% extra harvest chance. Good early game.
Kale110g70g6d6.7g/daySolid mid-tier choice

💡 Spring Strategy

Days 1-12: Plant Potatoes or Kale for quick returns.
Day 13: Buy Strawberry seeds at Egg Festival (100g each).
Pro Tip: Save some Strawberries for the Seed Maker to get free seeds for Year 2!

☀️ Summer Crops Ranked (28 Days)

CropSell PriceSeed CostGrowthGold/DayNotes
Starfruit750g400g13d26.9g/dayOasis. Wine = 2,250g (best in game)
Blueberry50g × 380g13d (regrows 4d)~22g/day4 harvests. Easy to grow, no Oasis needed.
Red Cabbage260g100g9d17.8g/dayYear 2+ only. Great profit.
Melon250g80g12d14.2g/dayGiant Crop possible
Hops25g60g11d (regrows 1d)See notesPale Ale = 300g in 1.5 days. Best Keg crop!

⚠️ Hops Warning

Hops are the highest gold-per-day when Kegged (Pale Ale = 200g/day per Keg), but they require DAILY harvesting and lots of Kegs. One Hops plant produces 17 Hops per Summer = 25.5 days of Keg time needed.

💡 Summer Strategy

Year 1: Blueberries are your best friend. Plant on Day 1 for 4 harvests.
Year 2+: Unlock the Bus (42,500g) → Starfruit from Oasis.
Endgame: Fill your Greenhouse with Starfruit or Ancient Fruit.

🍂 Fall Crops Ranked (28 Days)

CropSell PriceSeed CostGrowthGold/DayNotes
Pumpkin320g100g13d16.9g/dayGiant Crop possible. Top raw seller.
Cranberry75g × 2240g7d (regrows 5d)~16.5g/day5 harvests. Great for raw selling.
Grape80g60g10d (regrows 3d)~12g/dayWine = 240g. Trellis crop.
Artichoke160g30g8d16.3g/dayYear 2+ only. Underrated!
Amaranth150g70g7d11.4g/dayGood mid-tier option
Sweet Gem Berry3,000g1,000g24d83.3g/dayRare Seed from Traveling Cart. Cannot process.

💡 Fall Strategy

Giant Crops: Plant Pumpkins in 3x3 grids for a chance at Giant Crops (double yield).
Rare Seeds: Watch the Traveling Cart every Friday & Sunday. Sweet Gem Berry = 3,000g!
Cranberries: 5 harvests per season make them reliable for raw selling.

💼 Profession Impact

Your Level 10 Farming profession choice significantly affects which crops are "best":

🌿 Tiller (+10% Crops)

Applies to raw crops only. Best when selling without processing.

Starfruit:750g → 825g
Pumpkin:320g → 352g
Cauliflower:175g → 192g

⭐ Artisan (+40% Goods)

Applies to Wine, Juice, Jelly, Pickles. The endgame multiplier.

Starfruit Wine:2,250g → 3,150g
Ancient Fruit Wine:1,650g → 2,310g
Pale Ale:300g → 420g

📊 Verdict: Artisan wins for most players

If you process any crops through Kegs or Jars, Artisan's +40% bonus far outweighs Tiller's +10%. The only exception: if you exclusively sell raw crops without any processing.

🎯 Bottom Line: What Should You Plant?

TL;DR Recommendations

Year 1

Focus on easy-access crops

Potatoes → Strawberries (Spring) • Blueberries (Summer) • Cranberries (Fall)

Year 2+

Unlock Oasis, build Kegs

Rhubarb (wine) • Red Cabbage • Starfruit • Start your Keg empire

Endgame

Maximum passive income

Greenhouse full of Ancient Fruit or Starfruit → Kegs → Artisan profession

Last updated: June 2025 • Verified for Stardew Valley 1.6