Crop Calendar

Overview

Starsand Island has four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. Each season lasts 28 in-game days. Most crops only grow during specific seasons, though a set of all-season crops can be planted year-round. If a seasonal crop is still growing when its season ends, it will stop progressing and eventually wither.

Growth time in Starsand Island is measured in real in-game hours, not day-by-day ticks. A crop with an 18-hour growth time starts counting the moment the seed goes in the ground and finishes 18 in-game hours later, regardless of sleeping or time skipping. Each in-game day runs from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM (20 hours of active time).

Seeds are not locked by season at the point of purchase. You can buy Spring seeds in Winter and have them ready to plant on Spring Day 1. Stock up ahead of time so you can hit the ground running when a new season starts.

Planting Methods

Not all crops go into standard farmland. Four planting methods exist, each unlocked at different points in the Farmer profession.

All-Season Crops

These 12 crops grow year-round regardless of the current season. They form the backbone of a reliable farm since you never have to worry about seasonal transitions wiping out your fields.

Wheat and Pasture Grass are the fastest growers and should be planted from Day 1. Wheat is especially valuable because it processes into Flour at the Separator, which is needed for dozens of cooking recipes.

Spring Crops

Spring runs from Day 1 to Day 28. Plan your last plantings carefully so crops have time to mature before Summer begins.

Spring shares several crops with Summer (Tomato, Green Grape, Honeyvine, Water Caltrop, Mint), so if you miss the planting window in Spring, you get a second chance. Orchids are Spring-exclusive flowers used in cross-breeding.

Summer Crops

Summer runs from Day 1 to Day 28. This is the season with the most unique crops and the highest variety of tree saplings.

Summer is the best season for tree saplings. Banana, Snow Pear, and Lychee Saplings all have growth times exceeding 20 days, so plant them on Day 1 of Summer if you want any chance of harvesting before the season ends. Lychee (30 days) actually requires the full season and then some; it also grows in Spring/Autumn, so it may carry over. Moonrise flowers are Summer-exclusive and used in cross-breeding.

Autumn Crops

Autumn runs from Day 1 to Day 28. Autumn shares several crops with Summer (Cabbage, Beetroot, Corn) and introduces its own exclusive flowers (Roses).

Autumn is the time to plant Red Grape (used for Green Grape Juice and the Bonus Ore food buff) and Pumpkin (one of the highest-value standard farmland crops). Roses are Autumn-exclusive flowers. Persimmon Sapling takes over 21 days, so plant it on Day 1.

Winter Crops

Winter runs from Day 1 to Day 28. Winter has the fewest unique crops, but it shares several valuable options with Autumn.

Winter is a good time to focus on Tulips (Winter-exclusive flowers for cross-breeding) and Jadelume, the highest-value Trellis crop at 770 coins per seed. With fewer crops competing for field space, Winter is also ideal for growing all-season staples like Stardew Fern and Mandrake.

Seasonal Flowers by Season

Each season has its own exclusive flower set used in cross-breeding. All flowers take 4 days 18 hours to grow and come in Red, Yellow, and Blue base colors.

Through cross-breeding, these base colors can produce five hybrid colors: Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple. Plant flowers in adjacent plots to trigger cross-pollination.

Planting Tips

• Count backwards from season end. If a crop takes 5 days to grow and the season is on Day 24, you only have 4 days left. That crop will not finish in time. Always check the calendar before planting late in a season.

• All-season crops are your safety net. Wheat, Potato, and Cucumber never expire. If you are unsure what to plant, these always work.

• Trellis crops regrow. Cucumber, Tomato, Grape, and other Trellis crops can be harvested multiple times from a single planting. They yield 2 per harvest instead of 4, but the time savings on replanting make up for it.

• Buy seeds one season early. Seeds are not season-locked at the shop. Buy your Spring seeds during Winter so you can plant immediately on Spring Day 1.

• Use Sprinklers. Unlocked at Intermediate Farmer, Sprinklers sit between plots and water surrounding tiles automatically. They eliminate the biggest stamina drain in farming.

• Tree saplings need planning. Banana (20 days), Snow Pear (20 days 18 hrs), Persimmon (21 days 12 hrs), and Lychee (30 days) saplings take most or all of a season to mature. Plant them on Day 1 or they will not finish.

• Everlasting seeds are the endgame. The Creamy Seeds food buff gives a chance to drop Everlasting seeds when harvesting. Everlasting crops regrow indefinitely after each harvest, never needing replanting.

Seasonal Cooking Ingredients

Several seasonal crops are needed as base cooking ingredients. Keep these in mind when planning your seasonal planting:

• Wheat (All Season) processes into Flour, the single most-used cooking ingredient.

• Beetroot (Summer/Autumn) and Sugarcane (All Season) process into Sugar.

• Peanut (All Season) processes into Cooking Oil.

• Potato (All Season) processes into Vinegar at the Brewing Barrel.

• Soybean (All Season) processes into Soy Sauce at the Brewing Barrel.