Summary
It’s best to wait to plant Strawberries after the Egg Festival to allow for more profitable multiple harvests in
Stardew Valley
.
Fertilizer and Greenhouse may expedite Strawberry growth, but patience leads to higher profits.
Waiting to plant Strawberries increases the chances of additional fruit and maximizes profits in the long run.
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Strawberries can be a valuable crop to grow in Stardew Valley, but the way they function does raise questions about when it is best to plant their seeds. While Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update does add new crops to the game, pre-existing ones still have an important place on any farm, particularly if the player chooses the Tiller profession. With that in mind, as always in the farming simulator, careful planning is key for those who want to maximize their profits.
Strawberries are a Spring fruit, meaning that they can only be grown during the first quarter of the year. As soon as Summer arrives, they wither along with any other such seasonal crops on the farm. They are not one of the items available through the farm’s Fruit Bat Cave, but any Strawberry plant produces regularly while it is in season, making it more cost-effective compared to many single-harvest crops. But while Strawberries are undoubtedly a good investment, the circumstances of their availability can lead some to consider waiting a full year to plant any seeds they buy.
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Strawberries Have Great Potential In Stardew Valley
Strawberry Seeds are only available to purchase at the Egg Festival, which takes place on the 13th of Spring. They are the cheapest item available at the Egg Festival booth but are still notably more costly than most seeds regularly available from Pierre, costing 100g. Moreover, despite the potential for multiple harvests, the fact that half the month has already passed by the time they first become available in Year 1 can tempt people to save them until Spring of Year 2, when Strawberry plants would be in season (and so produce fruit) for far longer.
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Strawberry plants take eight days to grow to maturity and produce their first Strawberry, with further fruits then appearing every four days. This means that if planting on or just after the day of the Egg Festival, only two harvests can be made. Unless making value-multiplying Artisan Goods, a regular Strawberry sells for 120g, or 132g with the effects of Tiller. Over the course of two harvests, this gives a minimum net profit of 140g per Strawberry plant. A full Spring, meanwhile, has time for five potential harvests and so gives a minimum net profit of 500g per plant.
If a player aims to plant several Strawberry plants on the day of the Egg Festival, it is best to save time by preparing the soil before attending the event.
In addition to this, it is important to note that Strawberry plants also have a secondary mechanic that affects their produce, which can greatly alter the final profits. These plants have a 2% chance of producing an additional Strawberry after the first, and the same applies to all subsequent fruits. As such, regardless of when the seeds are planted, more than enough Strawberries could be harvested to make up for any lost time. The proceeds of this can be especially dramatic if a Farmer’s Luck also causes the crop to be doubled.
The Quirks Of Growing Strawberries Become Better With Time
Because of this, although unlikely, it is possible for even a single Strawberry plant to produce far more than it initially seems capable of. By extension, this means that even if planting later in the season, Strawberries can earn a player more money than their minimum return. Additionally, the odds of even a single extra Strawberry appearing logically increase with each additional Strawberry plant being grown. Therefore, it is very possible that the resulting crop will be larger than anticipated the more that it is invested in.
Although the appearance of extra Strawberries will never be common, they still remain a factor to keep in mind when planning for their planting. If a farmer buys plenty of Strawberry seeds, regardless of when they are planted, then they have a higher chance of reaping more of the fruit. Although this does rely heavily on luck, those who are comfortable in taking advantage of the minor gamble may see it as a way to reduce the difference in profit between planting immediately and waiting a year for the start of Spring Year 2.
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However, in the end, although luck may close the gap between immediate planting and waiting a year, the same 2% chance also applies to the more patient farmer’s crop. On balance, the benefits of having a full Season to grow and harvest Strawberries still outweigh those of planting them immediately after the Egg Festival. Money is an important resource in Stardew Valley, especially early on. Even if Strawberries are a profitable crop in any scenario, it only makes sense to ensure they give the greatest return possible, especially as other crops like Blueberries can provide funds in the meantime.
Patience Is The Key To Profits In Stardew Valley
It is worth noting that the time Strawberry plants take to grow does shorten when using fertilizer or by becoming an Agriculturist. For example, it is possible to obtain Speed-Gro in Year 1 quickly enough to have three Strawberry Harvests that Spring. Completing the Spring Crops Bundle rewards 20 uses of Speed-Gro, while fast-leveling Farmers may be able to craft it in time for the Egg Festival. Similarly, the Greenhouse can ensure an endless supply of Strawberries regardless of Season, but it is impossible to have it repaired so early in Year 1.
Yet again, however, waiting to plant Strawberries outstrips any shortcuts to growing them in Stardew Valley’s first Spring, especially for a relaxed playthrough. Not only is there more time to gather fertilizer but its effects will also be magnified with the longer harvest period. Moreover, if the Greenhouse is repaired later in the course of Year 1 (which requires either completing the Comunity Center’s Pantry Bundles or paying 35,000g through the Joja Community Development Form), then any Strawberries bought at the first Egg Festival can be planted and continually harvested without regard to the Season, permanently creating a regular profit.
Strawberries can make plenty of money in Stardew Valley with some preparation, but it takes time to access their full potential. Although Strawberries can be somewhat profitable in Year 1’s Spring, waiting to plant them until they can be harvested for longer only raises the profits. The low but appreciable chance of additional fruit from each plant also has more chances to trigger with each harvest. Ultimately, whether through the use of the Greenhouse, or even simply them being in season for a whole month, it is an immense improvement on planting Strawberries in the aftermath of the Egg Festival.
Stardew Valley
Released February 26, 2016
Developer(s) ConcernedApe
Publisher(s) Chucklefish
Genre(s) Simulation , RPG
ESRB E10+