Summer Crops Guide: Blueberries, Melons, and Starfruit Compared

Every Summer crop in Stardew Valley ranked by profit, plus when to buy Starfruit seeds, how to grow giant Melons, and what to plant in Year 1.

FarmingOctober 20, 20263 min read

Summer is the season where your farm starts printing gold. The seeds are more expensive than Spring, but the payoffs are bigger. This guide ranks every Summer crop so you know exactly what to plant.

The three money crops

Three crops dominate Summer. Here they are side by side:

Crop Seed cost Sell price Grow time Harvest type
Blueberry Blueberries 80g 50g (x3 per harvest) 13 days Regrows every 4 days
Melon Melons 80g 250g 12 days Single harvest
Starfruit Starfruit 400g 750g 13 days Single harvest

Blueberries: the consistent earner

Blueberries are the best “set and forget” crop of Summer. Each harvest drops three berries, so one plant effectively sells for 150g per harvest. Because they regrow every 4 days, you get several harvests from a single seed, and the profit-per-day is among the best in the game.

Blueberries are the best value for most players. Plant them early in Summer and they keep paying for the rest of the season.

Melons: the keg and giant-crop pick

Melons sell for a solid 250g each, but their real value comes from two tricks:

  1. Kegs — a Melon turned into wine sells for far more than the raw fruit.
  2. Giant crops — plant Melons in a 3x3 block and there’s a chance they merge into a Giant Melon that yields around double the harvest.

Starfruit: the premium payoff

Starfruit is the single most valuable Summer crop, but the seeds cost 400g each and are only sold in the Oasis shop in the Calico Desert. You can’t reach the Desert until you repair the bus (via the Community Center or Joja). If you’ve unlocked it, Starfruit is the best raw moneymaker — and the best crop to turn into wine.

The supporting crops

Crop Seed Sell Grow Notes
Hops Hops 60g 25g 11 days Regrows daily; brew into Pale Ale
Corn Corn 150g 50g 14 days Survives into Fall
Tomato Tomatoes 50g 60g 11 days Regrows every 4 days
Hot Pepper Hot Peppers 40g 40g 5 days Fast regrow, cheap
Radish Radish 40g 90g 6 days Fast single harvest
Wheat Wheat 10g 25g 4 days Cheap; for Beer or animal feed

Hops deserve a special mention: once they start producing, they regrow every single day. Put them in a Keg to make Pale Ale, which sells for much more than the raw hops.

What to plant in Year 1

If this is your first Summer, follow this order:

  1. Buy as many Blueberries as you can afford on Summer 1. They’re the backbone of your season.
  2. Add Melons if you have extra gold, especially if you plan to keg them or gamble on a Giant Melon.
  3. Skip Starfruit unless you’ve already unlocked the Desert — 400g per seed is a huge upfront cost in Year 1.
  4. Grab a few Hops for cheap daily income, and plant Wheat if you want Beer for the community center or gifts.

The bottom line

For most players, Blueberries are the best Summer crop — cheap seeds, multiple harvests, and huge total profit. Starfruit is the premium choice once you’ve unlocked the Desert, and Melons are the keg-and-giant-crop specialist. Plant Blueberries early and often, and you’ll enter Fall with a full wallet.