Rhubarb Farming: Turning Desert Seeds into Sweet Valley Profits

Stardew Valley Rhubarb Farming Calculator

Planting Planner
Profit Calculator
Processing Guide
About Rhubarb

Rhubarb Planting Schedule Calculator

Plan your rhubarb harvests by selecting your current date and farming options.

Rhubarb Profit Calculator

Calculate your potential profits from rhubarb farming.

Rhubarb Processing Guide

Compare different ways to process your rhubarb for maximum profit.

Processing Method Base Sell Price With Artisan Processing Time Equipment
Raw Rhubarb 220g 242g (with Tiller) None None
Rhubarb Jam 340g 476g 2-3 days Preserves Jar
Rhubarb Wine 660g 924g 7 days Keg
Aged Wine (Silver) 825g 1,155g 7 + 14 days Keg + Cask
Aged Wine (Gold) 990g 1,386g 7 + 28 days Keg + Cask
Aged Wine (Iridium) 1,320g 1,848g 7 + 56 days Keg + Cask
Rhubarb Pie 400g 560g Instant Kitchen

Processing Decision Tree

Follow this guide to decide how to process your rhubarb:

If keg-limited: Process rhubarb into wine first, as it provides higher gold per keg than most other spring crops.
If time-limited: Process into jam (faster) or sell raw (immediate returns).
If space-limited (cellar): Age rhubarb wine to iridium quality for maximum profit per cask.
If recipe-focused: Create Rhubarb Pie for gifting and some profit.

Rhubarb Wine vs. Strawberry Wine Analysis

Many players debate whether to focus on rhubarb or strawberry for wine production:

Factor Rhubarb Wine Strawberry Wine
Seed cost 100g 100g
Wine value (with Artisan) 924g per bottle 503g per bottle
Profit per bottle 824g 403g (first) / 503g (subsequent)
Possible harvests per season 3 max (with Deluxe Speed-Gro + Agriculturist) 6 max
Total season profit per tile 2,472g 2,918g
Processing requirement 3 kegs per tile 6 kegs per tile
Conclusion Strawberry has ~15% more profit per tile but requires twice as many kegs. Rhubarb is more keg-efficient.

About Rhubarb in Stardew Valley

Rhubarb Basics

  • Growth Time: 13 days
  • Season: Spring only (except on Ginger Island)
  • Regrowth: No (single harvest per planting)
  • Base Selling Price: 220g
  • Seed Cost: 100g (Oasis)
  • XP Earned: 26 Farming XP per harvest

Where to Find Rhubarb Seeds

  • Oasis Shop: Primary source, costs 100g per seed
  • Requirements: Must repair the bus (42,500g through Community Center or 40,000g through Joja)
  • Traveling Cart: Occasionally available at premium prices (150g-1,000g)
  • Seed Maker: Convert harvested rhubarb into 1-3 seeds

Growth Stages

Day Stage Visual
1-2 Stage 1 Small seedling barely visible
3-4 Stage 2 Slightly larger seedling with tiny leaves
5-6 Stage 3 Small plant with defined leaves
7-9 Stage 4 Medium plant with larger red-tinged stems
10-13 Stage 5 Full-size plant with large red stalks
Day 14 Harvest Ready for harvesting

Fertilizer Impact

Fertilizer Growth Time Reduction Rhubarb Growth Time
None 0% 13 days
Speed-Gro 10% ~12 days
Deluxe Speed-Gro 25% ~10 days
Hyper Speed-Gro 33% ~9 days
With Agriculturist Additional 10% Further reduction

Villager Gift Preferences

Reaction Villagers
Like (+45 points) Demetrius, Elliott, Harvey, Jodi, Kent, Leah, Linus, Pam, Robin, Sandy, Shane
Neutral (+20 points) Alex, Caroline, Clint, Dwarf, Emily, Evelyn, George, Gus, Krobus, Leo, Lewis, Marnie, Maru, Penny, Pierre, Sam, Sebastian, Willy, Wizard
Dislike (-20 points) Abigail, Haley, Jas, Vincent

Rhubarb Farming: Turning Desert Seeds into Sweet Valley Profits

Looking to make serious gold from your spring crops? Rhubarb is your ticket to boosting your farm’s profits-but only if you know where to get the seeds and how to maximize your returns. Unlike other spring staples, rhubarb seeds require desert access and special planning to hit multiple harvests. This guide breaks down everything from acquisition to optimal processing, with special tricks to fit three harvests into a single season. Jump to the Multiple Harvest Strategy if you’re already on day 8 of Spring and need immediate planting advice.

Understanding Rhubarb Basics

What is Rhubarb in Stardew Valley?

Rhubarb is a unique spring crop that serves as a bridge between early-game and mid-game farming strategies. Unlike most crops you’ll encounter in your first year, rhubarb cannot be purchased from Pierre’s General Store or JojaMart-it requires access to the Calico Desert, making it a symbol of farming progression.

Classified as a fruit in the game (despite being a vegetable stalk in real life), rhubarb takes 13 days to mature and yields a single harvest per planting. When fully grown, each plant produces one rhubarb, which can be sold for a base price of 220g, representing a 120g profit over the 100g seed cost.

What makes rhubarb particularly interesting is that it’s technically inedible as a raw crop in the game-a nod to real-life rhubarb, whose leaves are indeed toxic. Instead, it serves primarily as a sale crop and artisan goods ingredient, particularly for wine production, where it ranks as the second most profitable spring crop for wine conversion.

Here’s what makes rhubarb stand out from other spring crops:

Where to Find Rhubarb Seeds

Acquiring rhubarb seeds requires planning and game progression, as they’re not available through conventional merchants in Pelican Town. Here are all the ways to obtain rhubarb seeds:

1. Oasis Shop (Primary Source)

The most reliable way to acquire rhubarb seeds is by purchasing them from Sandy at the Oasis store in the Calico Desert. Each seed costs 100g, making them a significant but worthwhile investment.

Requirements to access:

Oasis Shop Hours:

2. Traveling Cart (Random Chance)

The Traveling Cart, which appears in Cindersap Forest south of the farm on Fridays and Sundays, occasionally sells rhubarb seeds at premium prices ranging from 150g to 1,000g.

Tips for Traveling Cart purchases:

3. Seed Maker (Sustainable Source)

Once you have at least one rhubarb, you can use the Seed Maker to create 1-3 rhubarb seeds.

To obtain a Seed Maker:

Seed Maker yield:

4. Skull Cavern (Rare Find)

Treasure rooms in the Skull Cavern may occasionally contain 5-20 rhubarb seeds.

Requirements:

5. Mixed Seeds on Ginger Island (1.5+ Feature)

Mixed seeds planted on Ginger Island have a chance to grow into any crop from any season, including rhubarb.

Requirements:

Growth Timeline and Calendar

Understanding rhubarb’s growth cycle is essential for maximizing profits, especially when trying to fit multiple harvests into a single spring season.

Basic Growth Information:

Growth Timeline Visualization:

Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of rhubarb’s growth stages:

Day Stage Visual
1-2 Stage 1 Small seedling barely visible
3-4 Stage 2 Slightly larger seedling with tiny leaves
5-6 Stage 3 Small plant with defined leaves
7-9 Stage 4 Medium plant with larger red-tinged stems
10-13 Stage 5 Full-size plant with large red stalks
Day 14 Harvest Ready for harvesting

Spring Planting Calendar:

To help you plan your rhubarb crops, here’s a calendar showing optimal planting days and their corresponding harvest dates:

Planting Date Harvest Date Notes
Spring 1 Spring 14 Earliest possible planting
Spring 2 Spring 15 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 3 Spring 16 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 4 Spring 17 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 5 Spring 18 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 6 Spring 19 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 7 Spring 20 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 8 Spring 21 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 9 Spring 22 Still allows for 2 harvests
Spring 10 Spring 23 Last day to plant for 2 harvests without Speed-Gro
Spring 11 Spring 24 Too late for 2 harvests without Speed-Gro
Spring 12 Spring 25 Too late for 2 harvests without Speed-Gro
Spring 13 Spring 26 Too late for 2 harvests without Speed-Gro
Spring 14 Spring 27 Too late for 2 harvests without Speed-Gro
Spring 15 Spring 28 Last viable planting day
Spring 16+ Summer 1+ Will die at season change

Important Calculation Tip: When planning harvests, remember that the day you plant doesn’t count as a growth day. The first growth day is the day after planting (assuming you watered the seed). Another way to think of it: the number of days shown on the seed packet is the number of nights needed for growth.

Maximizing Rhubarb Profitability

Raw Profit Analysis: Rhubarb vs Other Spring Crops

To determine whether rhubarb is worth your investment compared to other spring options, let’s break down the raw profitability of various spring crops.

Basic Profit Comparison:

Crop Seed Price Days to Maturity Base Sell Price Profit per Crop Profit per Day Multiple Harvests?
Rhubarb 100g (Oasis) 13 days 220g 120g 9.2g No
Strawberry 100g (Festival) 8 days 120g 20g (initial) + 120g per regrowth 30.0g Yes (every 4 days)
Cauliflower 80g 12 days 175g 95g 7.9g No
Potato 50g 6 days 80g 30g (60g with extra potato) 5.0g–10.0g No
Green Bean 60g 10 days 40g -20g (initial) + 40g per regrowth 8.0g Yes (every 3 days)
Coffee Bean Drops/Purchase 10 days 15g per bean Variable (4 beans per harvest) Variable Yes (every 2 days)

Season-Long Profit Analysis:

Assuming planting on Spring 1 with no speed-gro or profession bonuses:

Crop Total Harvests Total Profit per Crop Notes
Rhubarb 2 240g Plant on Day 1, harvest Day 14, replant, harvest Day 27
Strawberry 5 500g Plant on Day 1, harvest Days 9, 13, 17, 21, 25
Cauliflower 2 190g Plant on Day 1, harvest Day 13, replant, harvest Day 25
Potato 4-5 120g-300g Plant on Day 1, harvest Day 7, etc. (variable due to extra potatoes)
Green Bean 7 220g Plant on Day 1, first harvest Day 11, then Days 14, 17, 20, 23, 26
Coffee Bean ~8 Variable Complex due to exponential bean growth

Quality Considerations:

The profit numbers above reflect base quality. With increased farming skill and fertilizer, the profits increase substantially:

Rhubarb Quality Prices:

With Tiller Profession (+10% crop value):

Multiple Harvests Strategy

One of the key strategies for maximizing rhubarb profits is getting multiple harvests within a single spring season. With proper planning, you can achieve two harvests consistently, and with the right techniques, even three harvests are possible.

Standard Two-Harvest Strategy:

The simplest approach is to aim for two harvests:

  1. Plant on Spring 1: Your first harvest will be ready on Spring 14
  2. Immediately replant on Spring 14: Your second harvest will be ready on Spring 27

Requirements:

Achieving Three Harvests (Advanced Strategy):

Getting three harvests requires careful optimization:

  1. Use Deluxe Speed-Gro: Reduces growth time from 13 to 10 days
  2. Plant on Spring 1: First harvest on Spring 11
  3. Replant immediately on Spring 11: Second harvest on Spring 21
  4. Replant immediately on Spring 21: Third harvest on Spring 28 (final day of spring)

Requirements:

Agriculturist Profession Bonus:

If you’ve reached Farming level 10 and chosen the Agriculturist profession (10% faster growth), you can further reduce growth times:

With Deluxe Speed-Gro and Agriculturist, you could potentially get a comfortable three-harvest schedule:

  1. Plant Spring 1, harvest Spring 10
  2. Plant Spring 10, harvest Spring 19
  3. Plant Spring 19, harvest Spring 28

Multiple Harvest Calculator:

Use this formula to check if you can still get multiple harvests:

Last Viable Planting Day = 28 - (Growth Days)

For three harvests with Deluxe Speed-Gro:

First Planting: Spring 1
First Harvest: Spring 1 + 10 = Spring 11
Second Planting: Spring 11
Second Harvest: Spring 11 + 10 = Spring 21
Third Planting: Spring 21
Third Harvest: Spring 21 + 10 = Spring 31 (not possible)

With Deluxe Speed-Gro + Agriculturist:

First Planting: Spring 1
First Harvest: Spring 1 + 9 = Spring 10
Second Planting: Spring 10
Second Harvest: Spring 10 + 9 = Spring 19
Third Planting: Spring 19
Third Harvest: Spring 19 + 9 = Spring 28 (last day of Spring - possible!)

Processing into Artisan Goods

Raw rhubarb sales provide decent profit, but processing your crop into artisan goods can dramatically increase your returns. Here’s a breakdown of the different processing options and their profitability:

Artisan Goods Profit Comparison:

Processing Method Base Sell Price With Artisan Profession (+40%) Processing Time Equipment Needed
Raw Rhubarb 220g 242g (with Tiller) None None
Rhubarb Jam 340g 476g 2-3 days Preserves Jar
Rhubarb Wine 660g 924g 7 days Keg
Aged Rhubarb Wine (Silver) 825g 1,155g 7 days + 14 days Keg + Cask
Aged Rhubarb Wine (Gold) 990g 1,386g 7 days + 28 days Keg + Cask
Aged Rhubarb Wine (Iridium) 1,320g 1,848g 7 days + 56 days Keg + Cask
Dried Rhubarb Varies Varies 1 day Dehydrator
Rhubarb Pie 400g 560g Instant Kitchen

Rhubarb Wine vs. Strawberry Wine Analysis:

Many players debate whether to focus on rhubarb or strawberry for wine production. Here’s a comparison assuming Artisan profession and optimal growing conditions:

Rhubarb Wine:

Strawberry Wine:

Based on this analysis, strawberry wine produces approximately 15% more profit per tile over the course of a season. However, rhubarb requires half as many kegs to process, making it more efficient if keg production is your limiting factor.

Processing Decision Tree:

To determine the best use for your rhubarb:

  1. If keg-limited: Process rhubarb into wine first, as it provides higher gold per keg than most other spring crops
  2. If time-limited: Process into jam (faster) or sell raw (immediate returns)
  3. If space-limited (cellar): Age rhubarb wine to iridium quality for maximum profit per cask
  4. If recipe-focused: Create Rhubarb Pie for gifting and some profit

Rhubarb Pie Recipe:

Rhubarb can be used to create Rhubarb Pie, a useful cooking item:

Ingredients:

Recipe Source: Marnie (Friendship mail at 7+ hearts)
Sell Price: 400g (560g with Artisan)
Energy/Health: 215 energy / 96 health

Advanced Rhubarb Farming Techniques

Speed-Gro and Deluxe Speed-Gro Impact

Fertilizers can significantly reduce growth time for rhubarb, making multiple harvests more achievable. Here’s how different fertilizers impact rhubarb growth:

Fertilizer Comparison:

Fertilizer Growth Time Reduction Rhubarb Growth Time Cost Where to Buy
Basic Fertilizer Quality only 13 days 100g Pierre’s
Speed-Gro -10% ~12 days 100g Pierre’s, Oasis
Deluxe Speed-Gro -25% ~10 days 150g/80g Pierre’s (after Farming 5), Oasis
Hyper Speed-Gro -33% ~9 days N/A Qi’s Walnut Room (Island)

Optimizing Fertilizer Usage:

  1. Spring 1-10: Use Deluxe Speed-Gro for potential three harvests
  2. Spring 11-15: Use Deluxe Speed-Gro to ensure two full harvests
  3. Spring 16-19: Use Deluxe Speed-Gro to get at least one full harvest
  4. Spring 20+: Consider using Quality Fertilizer instead to maximize value of single harvest

Pro Tip: When replanting after a harvest, you’ll need to apply fertilizer again before planting the new seeds. Keep extra fertilizer on hand for replanting days.

Calculated Growth Days with Fertilizers:

Fertilizer Standard Growth With Agriculturist
None 13 days ~12 days
Speed-Gro ~12 days ~11 days
Deluxe Speed-Gro ~10 days ~9 days
Hyper Speed-Gro ~9 days ~8 days

For the most accurate calculation, use this formula:

Actual Growth Time = Base Growth Time × (1 - Speed Bonus) × (1 - Profession Bonus)

Agriculturist Profession Benefits

The Agriculturist profession, available at Farming level 10 if you chose the Tiller profession at level 5, provides a 10% growth speed boost to all crops. This boost stacks multiplicatively with fertilizers.

Agriculturist Impact Analysis:

For rhubarb specifically, Agriculturist provides these benefits:

  1. Faster Growth: 10% reduction in growing time (13 days → ~12 days)
  2. Increased Harvest Potential: Makes three harvests more attainable with Deluxe Speed-Gro
  3. Better Insurance: Provides buffer days for multiple harvests in case you miss a watering day

Cost-Benefit Analysis of Profession Switch:

If you’re using the 1.5+ update feature to change professions at the Statue of Uncertainty (20,000g):

Benefits of Agriculturist for Rhubarb:

Benefits of Artisan for Rhubarb:

Decision Point: If you have less than ~45 rhubarb plants that you’re processing into wine, Artisan is more profitable. With more plants, or if you’re not processing all crops, Agriculturist might yield better returns.

Year-to-Year Scaling Strategy

As you progress through multiple years in Stardew Valley, your rhubarb strategy should evolve. Here’s a year-by-year approach:

Year 1:

Year 2:

Year 3:

Year 4 and Beyond:

Long-term Efficiency Tip: Once you’ve established a steady income, consider whether the time spent on multiple rhubarb replantings might be better invested in mining, fishing, or other activities that generate resources for more efficient farming (like Ancient Fruit in the greenhouse, which doesn’t require replanting).

Rhubarb Beyond Profit

Gifting Preferences

While rhubarb’s primary value comes from selling and processing, it also has uses in building relationships with villagers through gifting:

Villager Gift Reactions:

Like (+45 friendship points):

Neutral (+20 friendship points):

Dislike (-20 friendship points):

Strategy for Gifting:

Recipe Usage

Rhubarb’s culinary applications are limited but valuable:

Rhubarb Pie Recipe Details:

Ingredients:

How to Obtain Recipe: Reach 7+ hearts with Marnie, who will mail you the recipe
Benefits of Cooking:

Cooking Strategy:

Special Processing Options

Beyond the standard processing methods, rhubarb has some specialized uses:

Tailoring Applications:

Rhubarb can be used in the Sewing Machine to create specific clothing items:

Dehydrator Processing (1.6 Update):

The 1.6 update introduced the Dehydrator, which provides another processing option for rhubarb:

Dried Rhubarb:

When to Use:

Making the Right Rhubarb Decisions: Case Studies

Case Study 1: The Early Desert Unlocked

Sarah unlocked the desert in Fall of Year 1. When Spring Year 2 arrived, she had 10,000g to invest. She chose to buy 100 rhubarb seeds and Deluxe Speed-Gro, planting on Spring 1 with upgraded watering can and several quality sprinklers.

Her results:

Total investment: 23,000g (seeds + fertilizer)
Total return: 50,600g
Net profit: 27,600g

The initial investment in rhubarb gave her enough capital to significantly expand her Summer crop operations.

Case Study 2: The Processing Specialist

Marcus had already built 50 kegs by Spring Year 3. He planned a rhubarb operation specifically for wine production.

His approach:

Results:

The key to his success was matching his planting scale to his processing capacity.

Case Study 3: The Late Starter

Elena didn’t access the desert until Spring 15 of Year 2. She wondered if rhubarb was still worth planting.

Her decision:

Results:

For late starters, rhubarb remains viable but requires more strategic processing to maximize returns.

Action Steps Recap

To master rhubarb farming: Unlock the desert early, plant on Spring 1 with Deluxe Speed-Gro, immediately replant after harvests, process into wine for maximum profit, and match your planting scale to your processing capacity.

Rhubarb Patch History

Date Change Note Impact on Rhubarb
Update 1.4 Added tailoring options Rhubarb can now be used in tailoring to create the Green Buttoned Vest and as a red dye
Update 1.5 Added Ginger Island Rhubarb can now be grown year-round on Ginger Island; Mixed seeds can grow into rhubarb on the island
Update 1.5 Added Iridium quality possibility Rhubarb can now reach Iridium quality when using Deluxe Fertilizer
Update 1.6 Added Dehydrator Rhubarb can now be processed in the Dehydrator to create Dried Rhubarb
Update 1.6 Added Desert Festival The Oasis shop is now closed during the three-day Desert Festival in spring
Update 1.6.4 Fixed foraging crops in garden pots Fixed forage crops harvested from garden pots always being low-quality and providing no XP
Update 1.6.9 Various quality-of-life improvements No direct rhubarb changes, but various farming and processing mechanics were adjusted