Stardew Valley: Top Spring Crops for Maximum Profit

Spring marks the beginning of a new year in Stardew Valley, providing players with an opportunity to rejuvenate their farms and strategize for a productive season. This time of year is ideal for allocating farm space for various crops, enabling players to maximize their income through timely planting and harvesting.

With ten exclusive crops available during Spring, each offering different values and growth durations, this guide highlights the top selections for planting in Stardew Valley.

14. Tulips

Seed Price: 20g

Friendship Value: Excellent for enhancing relationships with villagers

Growth Time: 6 days

Culinary Use: Not included in any recipes

While tulips may not be the most lucrative crop, they add vibrant beauty to your farm. Purchased for 20g at Pierre's, these flowers yield a selling price ranging from 30 to 66g each, making them less appealing as a money-making venture. However, Tulip Honey can fetch up to 224g when players have the Artisan perk, making tulips a worthwhile investment for those looking to boost their profits.

Growing tulips is also beneficial for friendship building, as many villagers, including Evelyn, have a fondness for these flowers.

13. Blue Jazz

Seed Price: 30g

Friendship Value: Great for socializing with villagers

Growth Time: 7 days

Best Recipe: Lucky Lunch

Though slightly pricier than tulips, Blue Jazz seeds offer a better return, selling for 50 to 110g based on player perks. These flowers also produce valuable honey, enhancing their profitability.

In addition to their financial benefits, Blue Jazz is well-liked among villagers, making them an effective gift option for players aiming to forge friendships quickly.

12. Carrot

Seed Price: Not available for purchase

Friendship Value: Useful for feeding horses

Growth Time: 3 days

Culinary Use: Not included in any recipes

Carrots, introduced in Update 1.6, bring a new dynamic to the game. Players can obtain seeds by trading maple seeds or discovering them through various means. Selling carrots yields a modest profit of 35 to 70g, making them less appealing. However, feeding them to horses provides a speed bonus, enhancing your riding experience. They can also be gifted, as most villagers appreciate them.

11. Garlic

Seed Price: 40g

Culinary Use: Essential for recipes and Garlic Oil

Growth Time: 4 days

Best Recipe: Escargot

Garlic seeds are available for 40g, and players can sell garlic for 60 to 120g, depending on quality. With a short growth time of just four days, garlic presents a quick profit opportunity.

Garlic is a common ingredient in many recipes and can be processed into garlic oil, providing beneficial buffs while mining by repelling insects.

10. Parsnips

Seed Price: 20g

Culinary Use: Key ingredient in various recipes

Growth Time: 4 days

Best Recipe: Farmer's Lunch

Parsnips are a staple crop in Stardew Valley. Easy to grow, they require just four days to mature and guarantee a minimum profit of 10g. This makes them an essential addition to any farmer's portfolio.

Parsnips are crucial for crafting dishes like Farmer's Lunch and fulfilling bundles at the Community Center.

9. Coffee Beans

Seed Price: 100-1,000g

Friendship Value: Excellent for socializing or obtaining a speed boost

Growth Time: 10 days; 2 days to regrow

Best Recipe: Coffee

Although the initial cost of coffee beans is high, they are a fantastic investment. After a 10-day growth period, these plants yield a harvest every other day throughout Spring and Summer, producing four coffee beans each time.

To brew coffee, players need five beans in a keg, resulting in a drink that boosts speed. This is particularly useful for enhancing early-game efficiency before acquiring a horse, and most villagers appreciate receiving coffee as a gift.

8. Unmilled Rice

Seed Price: 40g

Profitability: Highly rewarding

Growth Time: 8 days; 6 days with irrigation

Best Recipe: Rice

In the second farming year, players can discover the rewarding Unmilled Rice crop. To harvest, players need a scythe, and processing it in a mill yields bags of rice. Available for purchase at Pierre's General Store for 40g, unmilled rice can sell for up to 66g, while processed rice can yield 100g.

7. Kale

Seed Price: 70g

Profitability: Highly lucrative, aids farming skill progression

Growth Time: 6 days

Best Recipe: Stir Fry

Kale, available for 70g at Pierre's, presents an excellent profit potential. At maximum quality, a single harvest can sell for up to 242g. Moreover, harvesting Kale grants players a generous 17 experience points, making it an excellent choice for those looking to advance their farming skills.

6. Green Beans

Seed Price: 60g

Harvesting: Multi-harvest crop

Growth Time: 10 days; regrows every 3 days

Best Recipe: Bean Hotpot

Green bean seeds, priced at 60g, are a worthwhile investment. Once planted, they yield multiple harvests, producing a profit of 40 to 80g per harvest after the initial growth period of ten days.

5. Potatoes

Seed Price: 50g

Culinary Use: Nutritious addition to the player’s diet

Growth Time: 6 days

Best Recipe: Hashbrowns

Potatoes are a versatile root vegetable available for 50g at Pierre’s. They can be sold for 80g or double that for higher-quality produce. With a growth time of six days, potatoes provide a steady income stream.

4. Rhubarb

Seed Price: 100g

Profitability: Significant returns

Growth Time: 13 days

Best Recipe: Rhubarb Pie

Rhubarb seeds, available at Sandy's Oasis Store in the Calico Desert for 100g, are a bit pricier but yield substantial profits, selling for 220 to 440g at high quality. With a growth time of 13 days, it’s essential to plan ahead for planting.

3. Cauliflower

Seed Price: 80g

Profitability: High returns

Growth Time: 12 days

Best Recipe: Cheese Cauliflower

Cauliflower seeds can be bought for 80g at Pierre’s, and these heavy vegetables require 12 days to grow. Despite the lengthy growth period, they can sell for 175g at normal quality and up to 350g at iridium quality, making them a worthwhile crop, especially for players with the Tiller profession.

2. Ancient Fruit

Seed Price: Obtained via a recipe from Gunther

Profitability: Exceptional returns

Growth Time: 28 days

Culinary Use: Not used in any recipes

The unique Ancient Fruit can be grown in Spring, Summer, and Fall, yielding harvests until Winter. Selling this rare fruit nets players between 550 and 1,100 gold. Spring is the ideal season to plant Ancient Seeds to maximize profits.

Ancient Seeds are rare and typically acquired by donating the first Ancient Seed artifact to Gunther at the Museum, who then provides a crafting recipe and a packet of Ancient Seeds as a reward. They may also be available at the Traveling Cart.

1. Strawberries

Seed Price: 100g

Profitability: Excellent returns, ideal gifts, and multi-harvest crop

Growth Time: 8 days; regrows every 4 days

Culinary Use: Not used in any recipes

Strawberries are undoubtedly the top Spring crop. Priced at 100g during the Spring Egg Festival, players should stock up on these seeds to maximize their profit potential in subsequent springs. Once harvested, strawberries sell for between 120 and 240g, depending on quality.

Like green beans, strawberries regenerate every four days, making them a reliable source of income throughout Spring. They also serve as perfect gifts for villagers such as Demetrius and Maru, who cherish these fruits.

By choosing the right crops this Spring, players can optimize their farming strategies and enhance their overall experience in Stardew Valley. Happy farming!