Ethan Erekson 
Image: ConcernedApe via HGG / Ethan Erekson
Ethan is our resident Stardew Valley expert. He has also covered Genshin Impact, Animal Crossing, and LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Stardew Valley is a farming sim — naturally, farming is a big part of the game. Several crops play key roles in completing bundles and quests, and act as important ingredients in crafting and cooking recipes. Since the crops you can plant change with each season, it’s good to know exactly what to have on hand. You don’t want to have to wait a whole year to get that cauliflower Jodi wanted in Spring!
Farming takes a lot of work, and not all crops are created equal. It’s best to spend your resources on plants that will actually turn a profit, either monetarily or with rewards from town residents. Each season has its top crops — strawberries in Spring, starfruit in Summer, etc. So what should you plant in fall to achieve your goals in Stardew Valley? And what crops are a waste of your time and effort?
Whether you’re trying to befriend Abigail or make millions, here’s exactly what you should plant. Trust me — these are the crops you’re looking for.
Most Profitable Fall Crops
It’s said that money makes the world go round, and the same is true in Stardew Valley. Some crops are very profitable, where others aren’t worth all that much. And then there are sunflowers, which are somehow the only Fall crop that loses you money when you plant them. Here are the Fall crops that you should plant if you want to turn a profit.
Sweet Gem Berries
Starting off the list are sweet gem berries, the most valuable crop in the game. They grow from Rare Seeds, which can be bought from the Traveling Cart in Cindersap Forest on Sundays and Fridays for 1000g. That may sound like a lot, but sweet gem berries sell for 3000g, so it’s definitely worth the investment.
Some things to keep in mind are that you’ll need to buy these seeds in the Spring or Summer, otherwise it’s unlikely that the Traveling Cart will have them in stock. Also, sweet gem berries take twenty-four days to produce fruit (and they’re a Fall exclusive), so you can’t afford to procrastinate.
Cranberries
Next up are cranberries, which retail for 75g. That may not seem like a lot, especially when compared to some other crops, but cranberry seeds only take seven days to produce fruit and five days to regrow. Also, each plant produces two cranberries at a time, so it all adds up.
If you plant them first thing in the Fall, you can get up to five harvests. This comes out to 510g per plant after you subtract the 240g you spent on the seeds.
Pumpkins & Artichokes
Rounding out the list are pumpkins, which are the quintessential Fall plant. They’re fairly popular (more on that later), and are worth quite a bit. Each pumpkin sells for 320g, and since they only take thirteen days to grow, you can plant them twice. With the seeds costing 100g, you can earn up to 440g per space. Also, pumpkins planted in a 3×3 pattern have a chance of combining into a giant pumpkin. If you’re lucky, you can harvest more pumpkins and make even more money.
Of course, all of this can take capital, and not everyone can afford to spend 1000g on seeds. For those people, the best option might instead be artichokes, which are one of the cheapest Fall plants at only 30g. They only take eight days to grow, so you can plant and harvest them three times each fall. They also earn 160g each, making the maximum profit each season 390g per space. If you’re strapped for cash, give artichokes a chance.
Most Popular Fall Crops
Now, there’s more you can do with crops than just make money. They can also be gifted to NPCs, improving your relationships with them. And once you reach certain relationship milestones, you unlock character specific cutscenes that help you get to know them better. Each giftable villager has their own likes and dislikes, and the more they like the gift, the more friendship you earn.
By looking at how many villagers like receiving a particular crop versus the number that don’t, we can figure out which crops generally earn the most friendship. So what crops make the best gifts? Let’s find out.
Best Fall Crop to Grow in Stardew Valley as Gifts
As it turns out, pumpkins are the most popular fall crop in Pelican Town. They’re a favorite of Abigail, Krobus, and Willy. Since Abigail is considered one of the best bachelorettes in Stardew Valley, it’s worth having a surplus on hand. If you’d rather keep things platonic but still want someone else on your farm, you can also gift them to Krobus and eventually ask him to be your roommate!
Other top contenders for the most popular crop are sunflowers and fairy roses. It turns out that sunflowers aren’t completely useless after all! They’re a favorite of Haley’s, while fairy roses are beloved by Evelyn and Jas. If your focus is on gifting and improving relationships, these plants are the way to go.
However, keep in mind that if you want to improve your relationship with a specific villager, you’re probably better off just looking up their favorite items on the Wiki and gifting them those.
Most Prominent Fall Crops
The first time I played Stardew Valley, farming wasn’t a priority for me. I had fun mining and befriending villagers, but because I waited to grow certain crops, it took an extra year to complete some of the quests and Community Center bundles. It turns out that when you don’t farm in a farming sim, it limits your progress.
You could just plant everything, but that means spending a bunch of extra time and energy watering your plants. As long as you keep a close eye on what you need, you can improve your progress and stay on track with your quests (while still making some decent money in the meantime).
Best Fall Crops in Stardew Valley: Bundles & Quests
If you want to save the Community Center from being turned into a Joja warehouse, you’ll have to complete all of the bundles. You need Fall crops for four of them.
- For the Fall Crops bundle, you’ll need corn, a pumpkin, an eggplant, and a yam.
- For the Quality Crops bundle, you’ll need 5 corn and 5 pumpkins, both of which need to be gold quality. Make sure to plant plenty of them and use fertilizer to increase your chances of getting gold quality crops!
- For the Dye bundle, you’ll need a sunflower.
- For the Fodder bundle, you’ll need 10 wheat.
Alternatively, you could just take the Joja route, but choosing to save the Community Center is generally more fulfilling.
In addition to bundles, you’ll need crops to complete quests for certain villagers. Some of these quests will grant 500g and a friendship heart, such as when Caroline needs a pumpkin or Marnie needs some amaranth.
Others are vital for game progression and are part of unlocking new areas. This is the case with part two of the “Mysterious Qi” quest, for which you’ll need 10 beets. So make sure to pick up some beet seeds on your next visit to the Oasis.
Then there’s the requests from the “Help Wanted” board in front of Pierre’s. While these are optional, they can be a great way to earn some quick money and friendship points.
Most Fall crops can be requested here, with the exception of:
- Amaranth
- Beets
- Sunflowers
- Cranberries
- Fairy roses
- Sweet gem berries
Best Crop Overall
So what are the best Fall crops in Stardew Valley? Honestly, it depends on what you’re looking for.
If you want to maximize profits, then sweet gem berries, cranberries, and pumpkins are the way to go. If you want some crops to give to villagers, pumpkins, fairy roses, and sunflowers are good to keep on hand. And if progress is your priority, then just grow the stuff you’ll need to complete the Community Center bundles and quests.
But if you were to plant just one crop, your best bet would be pumpkins. They’re very profitable, well liked by villagers, and are necessary for the completion of several bundles and quests. They’re also used in crafting and cooking. And as a bonus, they help give your farm some great fall vibes. So if you’re wondering what to plant this fall, pumpkins are the way to go.
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