Which crops are most profitable? Not every seed produces the same revenue - so it is important to grow only the most profitable crops to start well in Stardew Valley.

For beginners in Stardew Valley, the choice of seeds is somewhat limited. Initially, Pierre's shop offers seven seeds for crops.

Of course, strawberries are very profitable, but you won't get them until the egg festival (on the 13th day of spring) at the earliest, which results in three missed harvests for you. In order to accumulate a lot of cash beforehand, you should plant other crops at the start of the game.

Most Profitable Seeds for the First Spring

Crop Seed Price Growing Days Selling Price Profit per Month
Potato Potato Seeds 50g 6 Days 80g+25% 200g*
Cauliflower Cauliflower Seeds 80g 12 Days 175g 190g
Green Bean Bean Starter 60g 10 (3) Days 40g 180g*
Kale Kale Seeds 70g 6 Days 110g 160g
Strawberry Strawberry Seeds 100g 8 (4) Days 120g 140g*
Parsnip Parsnip Seeds 20g 4 Days 35g 90g
Blue Jazz Jazz Seeds 30g 7 Days 50g 60g
Tulip Tulip Bulb 20g 6 Days 30g 40g

Potatoes are the Best Choice

Potatoes cost 50g and only take six days to harvest. At the same time, potatoes have the special feature that they have a 25% chance of generating a second potato during harvest. On average, this changes the original selling price from 80g to 100g.

Due to the shorter growing time and the chance of extra potatoes, your field can be doubled after the first harvest. This makes the potatoes a better choice than the green beans, at least for the first spring.

The Problem with Green Beans

One bean starter costs 60g, the harvested green bean can be sold for 40g. This calculation only works because one crop can be harvested several times.

It initially takes ten days before the first harvest, after which a green bean can be harvested every three days. For the entire spring (28 days) that would result in seven full harvests, which would definitely pay off.

However: In the first spring, several problems arise that make the beans look pretty bad. After all, it takes a full ten days before you even get any money back from the crops. Until the second harvest (13th day) you will still make a loss.

Additionally: Without a scarecrow, the crops are repeatedly eaten by crows. Since you don't have a scarecrow from start, the green bean plan can backfire quickly.

Strawberries are the Best Spring Seeds

Strawberries don't pay off in the first spring because they are available so late. In the second year, strawberries can be harvested five times, increasing the yield per month to 500 gold.

This makes strawberries by far the best seed to plant in the second spring and all following ones.

Stardew Valley