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
Summer is an opportune time in Stardew Valley, especially for farming. Though the number of available crops is roughly the same as other seasons (except winter), summer crops are far more prevalent, and often more profitable as well. As such, farming in the summer isn’t something you can afford to miss.
This isn’t like forgetting to bring Jodi her cauliflower. Planting these summer crops is a must, and if you don’t, you’ll be limiting your profit, friendships, and progress in Stardew Valley. Here are the best summer crops in Stardew Valley so you know what to plant if you want to have it all.
Profit — Best Summer Crops: Single Harvest
The first type of crop is single-harvest crops — as the name implies, you get a single harvest out of each one you plant. If you want to keep growing them, you’ll need to plant them again. Just be mindful of how long it takes for these crops to grow, as you want to be able to harvest them before the season changes.
Starfruit
Kicking off the list is the second-most profitable crop in Stardew Valley — starfruit. Starfruit seeds can be purchased from the Oasis for 400g, but you’ll need to unlock the Bus first to get there. Once you do, just take the bus to the desert and head inside the store there to buy the seeds. Starfruit has a pretty high return, selling for 750g apiece.
Just make sure not to confuse them with stardrops, as they are two very different things!
Melon
Next up are melons, one of the more iconic summer crops. They’re fairly accessible, as their seeds can be purchased from Pierre’s for only 80g. After they grow, they can be sold for 260g, earning you 180g in profit! Melons also have a chance to combine into giant crops, letting you harvest even more melons and earning you more money.
Wheat
Wheat doesn’t seem like a particularly profitable crop. The seeds cost 10g at Pierre’s, making it the most affordable crop, but the harvested crop only sells for 25g. That’s only 15g in profit. It doesn’t seem worthwhile…or does it?
Though each wheat plant might not earn much, you’re still making 150% in profit. That makes wheat the third-most profitable summer crop (single harvest) by percentage! If you plant a ton of wheat, you can earn a ton of money. Wheat also rolls over into fall, so you can keep planting it and have even more harvests.
That’s not all. Wheat also only takes four days to grow, so you can get a return on your investment very quickly. All of this means that wheat is accessible, budget-friendly, has high profit margins, and has a quick turnaround. What’s not to like?
However, there is a slight catch. Planting a ton of wheat also means watering a ton of wheat. There’s also the issue of crows. As such, you’ll want to have plenty of sprinklers and scarecrows so you won’t be wasting your time and energy as you try to make millions.
Profit — Best Summer Crops: Multiple Harvests
There are also crops with multiple harvests, which can be a great way to earn some passive income in Stardew Valley. Just set up some scarecrows and sprinklers, and then all you have to do is till the soil and plant the seeds. After that, just wait until the crops mature and harvest whenever they regrow. Here are the best summer crops with multiple harvests in Stardew Valley.
Blueberries
First up are blueberries, which are one of the most profitable summer crops in Stardew Valley. Blueberry seeds can be purchased from Pierre’s for just 80g. From that 80g, you get a crop that takes thirteen days to mature and four days to regrow. This means you can get four harvests of blueberries, with each blueberry plant producing three blueberries at a time. Since each blueberry sells for just 80g, you can earn 150g every four days after the blueberry plant matures. Not bad!
Hops
Hops are another multi-harvest summer crop. Hops starters can be purchased from Pierre’s for 60g, and after the eleven days they take to mature, they grow back every single day and can be sold for 25g each. That’s right, every single day. Hops use a trellis, however, so make sure you space them out properly so you can access all of them when it’s them to harvest.
Coffee Beans
The situation with coffee beans is…complicated. On one hand, it can be one of the most profitable crops in the game. On the other, it can result in you losing money despite your efforts across two seasons to make it profitable. It all has to do with how you get them.
There are two ways to get coffee beans. The first way is to kill dust sprites in the mines (Levels 41–79), as there’s a 1% chance they’ll drop coffee beans. It can take a while, but it won’t cost you anything. The other way is to purchase them from the Traveling Cart, but due to the game’s mechanics, the prices vary. If the coffee bean shows up as part of the special stock, which is more likely, then they’ll cost 2500g, ruining any chance at a profit. If they show up as part of the standard stock, the prices can range from 100–1000g. So why should you consider planting coffee beans if they’re so hard to get while still being profitable?
Like any other multiple harvest crop, coffee beans grow, and after they mature, they regrow until the season is over. Though what makes coffee beans special is that they regrow in just two days, and they grow in both the spring and summer. This means that you can get twenty-three harvests in, and all of that adds up. So if you’re lucky or can get them for a good price, they’re definitely worth the investment.
Friendship & Gifting
One fairly big component of Stardew Valley is the relationships. One side of it is working towards getting a spouse or roommate, though another part of it is unlocking the different characters’ heart events and getting to know them better. Plenty of crops can help you with that. These are the summer crops you should be planting to help take your relationships to the next level.
Sunflowers and Summer Spangle
The nice thing about sunflowers and summer spangle is that just about every giftable villager likes them, except for Clint, George, and Sebastian. 31 out of 34 villagers liking a gift is really good. This makes them great crops to have on hand whenever you’re going out gifting villagers, as you don’t have to worry about having a bunch of specific gifts for specific people. Sunflowers are a favorite of Haley’s, and summer spangle is a favorite of Caroline’s, so these crops work especially well if you’re trying to level up your relationships with those villagers.
Other Summer Crop Favorites
If you’re trying to level up your friendship with a specific villager, these are the summer crops to look out for. However, these crops aren’t as popular with other villagers, so only use them for their respective villagers.
Poppies and melons are favorites of Penny’s, but don’t give poppies to anyone else — all of the other villagers hate them! You might as well just stick with the melons, even if you have a long-term relationship with Penny in mind. Melon seeds are also cheaper.
Then there are hot peppers, which are favorites for both Lewis and Shane. Hot peppers are a multi-harvest crop that grows and regrows fairly quickly, so you can get a decent number from just a couple plants. They’re also relatively inexpensive, as the seeds cost only 40g. They’re not the most popular crop, so they’re really only useful in gifting for Lewis and Shane. That said, Shane is one of the bachelors in Stardew Valley and has one of the best character arcs and heart events, so it’s definitely worth the investment if you’re interested in a friendship or romance with him.
Community Center
A few days into spring, you’re presented with a choice in-game. You can either help the Junimos rebuild the Community Center or let Joja turn it into a warehouse. Neither choice is right or wrong, though the Community Center path is generally more fulfilling. As you complete either the Community Center bundles or the Joja Development Form, you’ll unlock new areas and amenities that improve your quality of life and let you progress further in the game.
Crop Bundles for the Best Summer Crop
If you chose to stick with the Community Center route, then summer is a great time for you, as many of the crops in the various bundles grow in the summer. Here’s a full list of every summer crop needed for the Community Center so you can restore it to its former glory.
| Bundle | Crops |
|---|---|
| Summer Crops | Tomato, Hot Pepper, Blueberry, Melon |
| Fall Crops | Corn |
| Quality Crops | 5 Corn (Gold Quality), 5 Melons (Gold Quality) |
| Chef’s | Poppy |
| Dye | Sunflower, Red Cabbage |
| Fodder | 10 Wheat |
Quests & More
Sometimes villagers will make requests for certain crops. After all, there’s a farmer in town, and they might as well take advantage of them. One of the villagers will send you a letter with their request, so you need to make sure to check your mail! Though it may take some effort, you’ll be compensated with money and friendship points, so it’s definitely worth it. These are the summer crops you’ll need to complete quests in Stardew Valley.
Crop Research
On the 20th of summer, you’ll receive a letter in the mail from Demetrius. He’s doing some research, but he needs a melon and is hoping you can help him out! Once you deliver the melon to Demetrius, you’ll receive 550g and a friendship heart. Nice!
Knee Therapy
Five days later, on the 25th of summer, you’ll receive another letter. This time it’s from George. His knee pain is flaring up again, and the only thing that’ll help is a hot pepper. Hurry and get that to him. After all, we don’t want George to needlessly be in pain! Once you complete this quest, you’ll receive 200g and a friendship heart.
A Soldier’s Star
And finally, there’s the “A Soldier’s Star” quest. Kent, whom you’ll meet in Year 2, wants to get something for Jodi for their anniversary. Kent sends you a letter on the 15th asking you for a starfruit. Once you provide him with the perfect gift for his wife, you’ll receive 500g and a friendship heart.
Help Wanted Board
A great way to earn extra money and friendship is to complete tasks for villagers via the “Help Wanted” board outside of Pierre’s. The following crops can be requested there, so you should keep some of these summer crops on hand:
- Corn
- Hot Pepper
- Melon
- Radish
- Red Cabbage
- Tomato
- Wheat
Best Summer Crops Overall
So out of all these crops and all of these uses, what is the number one thing you should be planting this summer in Stardew Valley? Honestly, it would have to be melons. They’re the most profitable summer crop by percentage (225%), they can improve your relationship with one of the bachelorettes, and they play a role in the Community Center bundles and quests. All of this makes melons the best summer crop in Stardew Valley.
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We hope you enjoyed our article on the best summer crops in Stardew Valley and learned some useful information along the way! Feel free to leave your comments and questions below, and make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss any of our Stardew Valley content.
Happy gaming!
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