The 10+ Best Summer Crops Ranked in Stardew Valley

Top 13 Best Summer Crops

The following is a ranking of every Summer crop in Stardew Valley. Note that we’ll mainly base it on the price, but if there’s a tie, we’ll consider their purposes. It’s also worth noting that all items in this list will benefit from Tiller. This profession adds a 10% selling boost to a crop.

13. Wheat

Wheat can thrive during Summer and Fall, letting players keep the tilled soil and earn a decent profit when the season changes. They’re common in matching a Parsnip in the Spring despite the difference in harvesting method. With a Scythe, you can gather them in a bunch, saving you time.

However, this Summer crop fell short of utility. Bread doesn’t sell well, barely impacts villager friendships, and it’s an unpopular food in Stardew Valley. Although Wheat feels underwhelming, we still recommend beginners to get its seeds from the following sources and start planting:

• Pierre’s General Store – 10g
• JojaMart – 12g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 10g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

A Wheat Seed grows for four days until maturity.

12. Hops

Pale Ale is one of the most popular Artisan Goods you’ll make with Hops. Comparing it with a Beer will net you 100g extra, earning this plant the 12th spot. Moreover, it guarantees continuous profit once you start farming them as they yield daily.

Hops need to fully mature on the 11th day before harvesting. Since they grow in trellises, we recommend leaving one tile interval per plant. You can get its seeds (Hops Starter) from the following merchant in Stardew Valley:

• Pierre’s General Store – 60g
• JojaMart – 75g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 60g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

11. Hot Pepper

This muti-harvest crop offers a beginner-friendly way to boost your Luck throughout the day. Hot Pepper is also an active ingredient in some important buff-giving dishes in Stardew Valley, including Tropical Curry and Pepper Poppers. But the most common reason why players cultivate it is because it’s key in marrying Shane.

Don’t expect too much from Hot Pepper, as they’re at the bottom tier of this list. However, one packet of seeds can produce eight Chili, making it an optimal choice for profiting! Invest more, wait for five days, and you’ll reap what you sow.

Pepper Seeds are available from the following stores that you can visit:

• Pierre’s General Store – 40g
• JojaMart – 50g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 40g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

10. Blueberry

Blueberry is similar to Hot Peppers as both produce something every three days upon maturity. The striking difference is the better yield (three Blueberries minimum), and there’s a 2% chance for more. 

It takes 13 days to grow Blueberry Seeds upon placing them on tilled soil. However, you can use Speed-Gro fertilizers to enhance growth, earning you more profit! Want to have this on your farm? Get your seeds here:

• Pierre’s General Store – 80g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 80g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

Because of massive yields, we suggest bringing raw Blueberries deep into the Mines. Maintaining your Health and Energy meter is important so you can mine more precious materials. You can also make a Blueberry Tart, but that’ll cost you more ingredients. Regardless, both are amazing to keep you going on the underground.

9. Corn

Many Stardew Valley players commonly plant Pumpkins alongside Corn fields when it’s Autumn. It’s unsurprising since cobs are a staple source of side income for various spending. But did you know that this vegetable can also thrive in the Summer?

Corn’s availability in two seasons earns the Summer crop a well-deserved 9th spot. Although a single packet of seeds can get you 11 cobs in both seasons, planting at least 100 will guarantee you a stack! Cooking-wise, it isn’t the best, albeit its Tortilla is an ingredient for Lucky Lunch – a luck-boosting item.

Moreover, Corn saves you money from buying Oil from Pierre since making one is possible at the Oil Maker. If you have an unused layout on your homestead, go to the following merchants and start planting:

• Pierre’s General Store – 150g
• JojaMart – 187g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 150g
• Traveling Cart – 225g – 1,000g

Corn Seeds need 14 days to grow.

8. Tomato

A Tomato in Stardew Valley comes in small, rounded form – showcasing its fresh look from the outside. On the inside, its juicy and slightly tangy flesh helps various cooking recipes taste better. That’s a sweet statement to make Tomato one of the best Summer crops in the game!

Although there’s an issue with its status, the game classifies Tomato as a vegetable. It takes 11 days before your first harvest with a three-day interval after another. On the bright side, you’ll get a 5% chance to get more than one Tomato, which means more profit!

Since Eggplant Parmesan, Fish Stew, Shrimp Cocktail, and Squid Ink Ravioli give useful buffs, it’s time to grow them. Here’s where you can buy Tomato Seeds:

• Pierre’s General Store – 50g
• JojaMart – 62g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 50g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

7. Sunflower

Do you want to save your money to get more profit? The process is all about reusing a seed, so you don’t have to buy again, and that’s what Sunflower can offer!

The Sunflower is a unique plant that can thrive in Summer and Fall. Most Stardew Valley players cultivate them alongside Corn and Wheat. But the best thing about the flower is the decent chance of dropping one to two Sunflower Seeds after harvesting.

Start making a profit from this Summer crop in-game and buy seeds from the following sources:

• Pierre’s General Store – 200g
• JojaMart – 125g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 200g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

Note: It’ll take eight days before a Sunflower fully matures.

6. Radish

Radish is well-known as an ingredient in making Radish Salads and Red Plates. The latter gives a decent energy boost to the player. Other than that, there’s little to say about the vegetable crop other than the fantastic profit you’ll get.

Radish Seeds take six days to mature, and you can get some packets from the following merchants:

• Pierre’s General Store – 40g
• JojaMart – 50g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 40g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

5. Summer Spangle

Fun Fact: Summer Spangle is the third most profitable flower in Stardew Valley. It’s the same with its Honey, earning the plant a 5th spot on the best Summer crops list.

Having them near multiple Bee Houses is advisable as it offers side profit. One packet of Spangle Seeds is enough, and you can get them here:

• Pierre’s General Store – 50g
• JojaMart – 62g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 50g
• Traveling Cart – 100g – 1,000g

Growing a Summer Spangle will take eight days.

4. Poppy

Every villager in Pelican Town hates Poppy except Penny. An unconfirmed reason is that giving the flower symbolizes the remembrance of war victims. It’s not canon, but the explanation makes sense as Stardew Valley is currently waging war with the Gotoro Empire. It’s worth mentioning that the Traveling Cart and Kent came from here.

Albeit unpopular in the town, Poppy in raw and flavored Honey form is the second highest-selling flower. It’s also the main component for Poppyseed Muffin, which further increases profitability.

3. Red Cabbage

This placement might be surprising because Red Cabbage grows faster and sells better than Melon – but it fell short in Artisan Product-making. Most Stardew Valley players prefer loading a fruit inside Kegs, Casks, and Preserves Jar because vegetables don’t give much profit.

You can use Red Cabbage to boost income by 100% with different cooking recipes such as Coleslaw, Fish Taco, and Red Plate. However, it’s important to grow them first (which takes nine days) before harvesting. Here’s where you’ll get its seeds:

• Pierre’s General Store – 100g (available only on Year 2 and beyond)
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market – 100g (Year 2+ availability))
• Traveling Cart – 150g – 1,000g

2. Melons

Which fruit will you use for wine-making if Ancient Fruit and Starfruit are unavailable since it’s Year 1? A predominant answer most beginners will say is Melons – the best Summer crop in the first year. With its above-average market value, which you can boost further using Kegs, promising results are guaranteed.

It’s common to reinvest your earnings if it’s Year 1. However, the best moment to do it is when Summer hits. It’s an effective method to scale your farm, leaving you with more money before the year ends. Start growing Melons by buying seeds from the following sources:

• Pierre’s General Store – 80g
• JojaMart – 100g
• Magic Shop Boat (Night Market) – 80g
• Traveling Cart – 120g – 1,000g

Melon Seeds take 12 days until they’re available to harvest. If you’re a seasoned player, we recommend leaving them there (with Scarecrows, of course) to increase your chances of seeing its massive version. This giant crop will drop 15 to 21 Melons when hit by an Axe.

1. Starfruit

There are different reasons why Starfruit is the best Summer crop we recommend planting on your farm.

Firstly, they have the highest-selling price for every crop (not counting Sweet Gem Berry as it’s technically not a fruit or vegetable). Secondly, it gives the most Wine profit ranging from 2,250g to 6,300g! Lastly, you can use a Starfruit to build a Junimo Hut to help you harvest crops.

Although it’s easily the best crop to have in Summer, it won’t be available until you have Bus access (usually on Year 2). That’s because its seeds are exclusive to the Oasis Shop only that you can find on Calico Desert. It might be available from Traveling Cart for a higher price, but we don’t recommend buying there.

More options are available if you’re persistent in planting a Starfruit. For example, Gunther will give a packet of Seeds for donating 15 items at the Museum. Since Pierre sells the fruit at the Luau, you may also reproduce its Seed with a Seed Maker. However, we recommend doing it on your auspicious days to avoid Mixed Seeds.

Before harvesting Starfruit, you’ll need to wait 13 days. Feel free to speed it up with the Agriculturist profession and Speed-Gro fertilizers. However, we recommend using Deluxe Speed-Gro to have three harvests in Summer. Other fertilizers give the same result, so saving resources is better.