Have you ever headed outside in your Stardew Valley game, only to find giant crops have suddenly appeared in your fields? This can come as quite the surprise, especially if you have never seen giant crops in Stardew before. However, they are also a very welcome surprise, provided you know what to do with them—and, in line with this thought, today, we’re looking at some of the key things you should know about Stardew Valley giant crops, including what they are, why they suddenly appear, which crops can go giant, and more. Hopefully, this will help you know more about these brilliant surprises.
Stardew Valley Giant Crops: What Are They?
Before we go any further, we first need to consider what giant crops actually are. Simply put, giant crops are regular crops that have magically grown into a single, giant crop overnight. These Stardew Valley giant crops drop substantially more items than a regular plot of land, making them incredibly lucrative if you can get them to grow well.
Giant crops can only spawn on 3×3 planted plots of land growing the same type of crop. It’s worth noting, though, that these 3×3 plots can overlap; for example, if your crop field was 4×3 squares in total, you would have two lots of 3×3 plots that could become a giant crop.
If the conditions for giant crops are met, there is a 1% chance for a giant crop to spawn each night, meaning that, over the course of a full year (112 days in total), you are likely to receive a giant crop at least once if you have at least one 3x3 uninterrupted plot.
What are the Conditions Needed for a Giant Crop to Spawn?
A giant crop can’t necessarily just spawn anywhere, so keeping the following conditions in mind is important if you’re trying to grow big:
- Plot size: Giant crops will only spawn on an uninterrupted 3×3 plot. This means that you need a 3×3 plot of growing land with all nine tiles planted.
- Crop type: Only five crops in Stardew Valley can turn into giant crops: cauliflower (spring), melon (summer), pumpkin (fall), powdermelon (winter), and Qi fruits (year-round). Any other combination of crops will not have a chance of spawning into a giant crop. Furthermore, the entire 3×3 plot must be planted with the same type of plant.
- Watering: In order for a giant crop to appear, it’s recommended to ensure that all of the plots are fully watered.
Technically speaking, it is generally believed that only one square needs to be watered, although exactly which square this is can be subject to debate based on updates. As of the 1.6 update, the top left crop of the grind must be watered, whereas older versions of the game needed the center crop to be watered. For the sake of confidence, ensuring all crops are watered helps ensure that overlapping plots also have a chance of spawning a giant crop.
Technically speaking, it is possible for giant crops to appear at any stage of the crop’s growth, so it’s not only on the final day of growth that one can appear.
Are Stardew Valley Giant Crops Better Than Regular Crops?
In terms of quality, giant crops always yield normal-quality items, which may be less lucrative individually than higher-quality individual items. However, they yield anywhere between 15 and 21 normal quality items when harvested, which is substantially more than the 9 crops you would normally harvest; as such, giant crops will usually be more lucrative than individual crops. In addition, it’s worth noting that giant crops may spawn at any time during the growth of the crop, potentially speeding up harvest significantly. As such, from a profitability perspective, giant crops can yield a lot more.
Of course, quantity isn’t everything, and in many aspects of life, quality is equally key. Luckily, with ScalaCube’s Stardew Valley hosting, you know you’re getting a top-rated server that can withstand any challenges thrown its way, with 24/7 uptime and immediate access for a lag-free experience.
How to Harvest Giant Cauliflowers, Melons, Pumpkins, and Powdermelons in Stardew Valley
Regular cauliflowers, melons, pumpkins, and powdermelons don’t need specialist tools to harvest; you can simply pick them up and put them in your pocket. However, giant crops are a little too large for this! As such, in order to learn how to harvest giant cauliflowers, melons, pumpkins, and powdermelons in Stardew Valley, you’ll need an axe to hand. Harvesting these behemoths takes three strikes of an axe, but the good news is that you won’t need an upgraded axe.
FAQs
All harvests from giant crops are of a standard quality. As such, even if the soil was fertilized prior to planting, you will not be able to get higher quality crops from a single giant crop.
Giant crops give between 15 and 21 items when harvested. This is completely random, so there is no way to influence how many items you’ll get after cutting down a giant crop.
Unfortunately, giant crops in Stardew Valley come with a notable drawback: they have the potential to flatten your tilled soil. This can be a nuisance, but if you have applied high-quality fertilizer to the soil prior, it can be especially frustrating as you will need to replace the fertilizer.
There are five crops that have the potential to become giant crops in Stardew Valley if the conditions are met: cauliflowers in Spring, melons in summer, pumpkins in fall, powdermelons in winter, and Qi fruit year-round.
Final Thoughts
If you have been looking to grow giant crops, knowing about how these work can be helpful. Fortunately, our friendly teams have outlined some of the main things you should know today; hopefully, this will allow you to plan your own crop fields more carefully. So, whether you like the idea of giant crops or not, there are ways to increase the chances of them (or prevent them from) appearing on your farm.