Basic Information

The Stardew Valley Cauliflower Crop Guide provides an in-depth look at one of the most important early crops in the game. Cauliflower is a vegetable crop that grows from Cauliflower Seeds, which can be purchased from Pierre’s General Store during the Spring season. It is a staple for early-game farming, as it plays a key role in the growth of your farm and in meeting various game objectives. Cauliflower takes a total of 12 days to grow to full maturity, requiring you to plan ahead to ensure you have a successful harvest.

When you plant Cauliflower Seeds, the crop will grow into a single cauliflower per plant, which can then be harvested once mature. This makes it a fairly simple crop to manage, but the real excitement comes from its potential to grow into a giant crop. Cauliflower is one of only a few crops in Stardew Valley that can undergo this transformation, making it a unique and rewarding challenge. To grow a giant cauliflower, you need to plant your cauliflower in a 3×3 grid, with each space filled by a cauliflower plant. This will allow the crop to grow into a giant version, which can be harvested for multiple cauliflowers at once, offering a higher yield.

It’s important to note that giant crops can only grow in outdoor soil, and cannot be planted in garden pots or the greenhouse, limiting the places where you can attempt to grow a giant cauliflower. This gives players a chance to experiment with crop layout and planning, and it’s especially useful if you want to maximize your farming output for specific festivals or goals.

In addition to its potential for giant growth, cauliflowers also offer several in-game benefits. While they may appear pale in color, they are packed with nutrients and are a healthy addition to your farm’s harvest. When consumed, cauliflower restores 75 energy and 33 health, making it a great item to keep on hand for recharging your stamina during long days of farming, mining, or other activities. Additionally, cauliflower can be used in a variety of recipes or given as a gift to certain villagers, enhancing its value beyond just its nutritional benefits.

The Stardew Valley Cauliflower Crop Guide shows how cauliflowers are not just a simple crop, but a versatile and valuable part of your farm. Whether you’re aiming for the giant crop or simply looking to enjoy its nutritional benefits, cauliflower is a crop that should be part of every player’s Spring planting routine.

Obtaining Cauliflower and Seeds

Cauliflower Seeds are crucial for growing cauliflowers in Stardew Valley, and there are several methods to obtain them, each with its own unique features. The most reliable and common way to acquire Cauliflower Seeds is by purchasing them from Pierre’s General Store. You can buy a pack of seeds for 80g, making it an affordable option early in the game. However, if you happen to be a member of JojaMart, you can also purchase Cauliflower Seeds from there, but the price is slightly higher, at 100g per pack.

Another option for acquiring Cauliflower Seeds is through the Traveling Merchant, who appears on Fridays and Sundays in the south of your farm. The price at the Traveling Merchant tends to be higher than Pierre’s Store, with the seeds usually costing 120g, although there is a chance that you might find them for as low as 80g, depending on the vendor’s stock for that particular visit.

The Night Market, a special event that takes place during Winter, also sells Cauliflower Seeds for 80g per pack, making it another affordable option. However, the Night Market is only available for a limited time during the Winter season, so you’ll need to plan accordingly to take advantage of this opportunity.

For those exploring the Skull Caverns, there’s also a chance to find Cauliflower Seeds in treasure rooms. These treasure rooms are unlocked as you delve deeper into the Skull Caverns, where you’ll face increasingly difficult challenges, but they provide a chance to find valuable items, including seeds. This method is more random, and while it might not always yield Cauliflower Seeds, it’s a potential way to expand your seed collection as you explore.

In addition, Gunther, the curator of the museum, offers a reward of Cauliflower Seeds when you donate five items to the museum. This reward is a one-time bonus, so it’s a great incentive to collect and donate various artifacts and minerals as you uncover them throughout your adventure.

Another way to acquire Cauliflower Seeds is by using the Seed Maker. The Seed Maker allows you to process certain foraged plants into seeds, and there is a small chance that it will produce Cauliflower Seeds, depending on what you put into the machine. This method can be a bit random, but it provides an additional source of Cauliflower Seeds if you’re lucky.

Lastly, if you’re clearing your farm and cutting grass, you might find Mixed Seeds. These seeds, which are a random assortment of crops, can sometimes result in a cauliflower when planted. While the chances of getting a cauliflower from Mixed Seeds are low, it’s still a potential way to grow the crop without directly purchasing the seeds.

These various methods provide flexibility and opportunities to grow cauliflowers even as your farm evolves, making it easier to keep your crops diverse and maximize your harvest. Whether you choose to buy seeds from stores, find them in treasure rooms, or use the Seed Maker, there are plenty of ways to get your hands on Cauliflower Seeds in Stardew Valley.

Growing Cauliflower

To successfully grow cauliflower, you’ll need to begin by preparing the soil. Start by tilling the soil to create a clean and level planting area. Once the soil is tilled, plant your Cauliflower Seeds directly into the prepared ground. After planting, make sure to water the seeds right away to help them begin the growth process. Cauliflower requires consistent watering throughout its growth, especially in warm and dry weather.

It’s essential to water the base of the plants deeply, as this helps the roots to develop and grow strong. Avoid watering directly on the leaves, as this can lead to fungal diseases, which can harm the crop. The soil should be kept moist, but you should avoid overwatering, as too much water can cause the soil to become waterlogged and damage the plants.

Cauliflower takes 12 in-game days to grow to full maturity. During this time, the plant will progress through several stages of growth before it’s ready for harvest. To protect your crops from being eaten by birds, you can use scarecrows. These will help keep pests away and ensure your cauliflower has the best chance to thrive. You can also use fertilizers to speed up the growth process.

Regular Speed-Gro reduces the growth time by 1 day, allowing for quicker harvests. If you want even faster growth, you can use Deluxe Speed-Gro or Hyper Speed-Gro, both of which reduce the growth time by 3 days. For players who choose the Agriculturist profession, crops grow 10% faster, and this bonus is even more beneficial when used in combination with fertilizers, significantly reducing the time it takes for your cauliflower to mature.

Fertilizers also have other benefits, such as improving the quality of your crops. For example, applying Deluxe Fertilizer can increase the chance that your cauliflower will reach iridium quality, which not only makes it more valuable when sold but can also be used for cooking or giving as gifts. In order to create the best growing environment for your cauliflower, the soil needs to be fertile and well-drained. Cauliflower grows best when the soil has a pH level between 6.0 and 7.0. Before planting, you can improve the soil’s fertility by adding compost or manure. This helps provide essential nutrients, ensuring your cauliflower gets the right nutrients to grow strong and healthy.

When planting the seeds, make sure to place them about 1/4 inch deep in the soil. For optimal growth, space each seedling approximately 12 inches apart. This spacing gives the plants enough room to expand and ensures that they have access to adequate sunlight, water, and nutrients without being crowded by other plants. As the cauliflower grows, mulching around the plants with materials like straw, hay, or compost helps to retain moisture in the soil, which is crucial during hot or dry periods. Mulching also helps to suppress weeds, preventing them from competing with your cauliflower for resources, and it helps to regulate the soil temperature, keeping it consistent and favorable for growth.

In addition to proper care, companion plants can have a positive effect on cauliflower’s growth. Plants like tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and basil can enhance the growing conditions for cauliflower, encouraging healthier and more productive crops. However, it’s important to avoid planting cauliflower near strawberries, as the two can have a negative effect on each other’s growth. Using fertilizers like Speed-Gro, Deluxe Speed-Gro, or Hyper Speed-Gro can give your cauliflower an even better chance for quick and successful growth, ensuring that you have a bountiful harvest. By following these steps and using the right tools and care, you can grow healthy, high-quality cauliflowers and maximize your farm’s productivity.

Harvesting and Quality

Cauliflower heads are ready to harvest when they reach a diameter of 6 to 8 inches and feel firm to the touch. This indicates that they have reached full maturity and are ideal for harvesting. To harvest the cauliflower, you should use a sharp knife or shears to cut the head at the base of the plant, making sure to leave a few inches of stem attached to the cauliflower. This method ensures a clean cut and minimizes any potential damage to the plant or surrounding crops. It’s important to harvest cauliflower at the right time, as waiting too long can cause the heads to become overgrown and less valuable.

Once harvested, cauliflower comes in four quality levels: Base Quality, Silver Star Quality, Gold Star Quality, and Iridium Star Quality. The quality level of a cauliflower determines its sell price, the boost in energy and health when consumed, and the value of artisan goods made from it.

Base Quality cauliflower is the standard, with no star, and serves as the baseline for other quality levels. Silver Star Quality represents an improvement over the base level, with slightly better characteristics. Gold Star Quality is even higher, offering better benefits, while Iridium Star Quality is the highest possible and is achieved by using Deluxe Fertilizer. To obtain Iridium Star cauliflower, you need to provide the plants with extra care and use the appropriate fertilizers to maximize growth potential.

The base selling price for a regular cauliflower with no star is 175g, making it a fairly good source of income early in the game. As the quality improves, so does the selling price: Silver Star cauliflower sells for 218g, Gold Star cauliflower for 262g, and Iridium Star cauliflower for 350g. These price increases can make a significant difference, especially if you’re growing large quantities of cauliflower.

If you choose the Tiller profession, which boosts the selling price of crops, the prices increase by an additional 10%. This means that with the Tiller profession, the sell prices become: 192g for Base Quality, 239g for Silver Star, 288g for Gold Star, and 385g for Iridium Star. This profession is particularly valuable if you plan to focus on growing crops for profit.

Beyond the selling price, the quality of cauliflower also affects the benefits you gain from consuming it. Eating cauliflower provides an energy and health boost, which can be especially helpful when you need to restore stamina for farming or exploring. Base Quality cauliflower gives +75 Energy and +33 Health. If you consume a Silver Star cauliflower, it gives +105 Energy and +47 Health, offering a better recovery. Gold Star quality boosts this further, with +135 Energy and +60 Health. The highest boost comes from Iridium Star cauliflower, which restores +195 Energy and +87 Health. These differences can be crucial when you’re working long hours on the farm or tackling more challenging activities like mining.

Additionally, the quality of cauliflower significantly impacts the selling price of artisan goods made from it. For example, Cauliflower Juice, which is made by processing cauliflower in the Keg, has a base price of 393g. If you have the Artisan profession, which increases the value of artisan goods, the price increases to 550g.

The quality of the cauliflower used in these products directly affects their final selling price. Higher-quality cauliflower, such as Gold Star or Iridium Star, will result in more valuable artisan goods, making it worth investing in fertilizers or other growth-boosting techniques to enhance the quality of your crops. Artisan goods made from Iridium Star cauliflower can be especially profitable and contribute significantly to your income on the farm.

All of these factors—harvesting at the right time, improving quality with fertilizers and professions, and using high-quality cauliflower for artisan products—combine to make cauliflower a valuable and versatile crop. Whether you’re growing it for its high sell price, its energy and health benefits, or its potential in artisan goods, cauliflower can be a key crop for your farm’s success.

Uses of Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a versatile crop with several uses that extend beyond just being sold for profit. Its primary purpose is to be sold, but it also plays a role in cooking, tailoring, gifting, quests, and bundles. When sold, the base price for a regular cauliflower with no star is 175g. The price increases with the quality: Silver Star cauliflower sells for 218g, Gold Star for 262g, and Iridium Star for 350g. If you choose the Tiller profession, the selling prices increase by 10%. This means that with the Tiller profession, a base cauliflower sells for 192g, Silver Star for 239g, Gold Star for 288g, and Iridium Star for 385g, significantly increasing the potential profit.

Cauliflower can also be used in artisan goods. It can be pickled, with a base selling price of 400g, which increases to 560g with the Artisan profession. It can also be made into juice, which sells for 393g at base and 550g with the Artisan profession. In cooking, cauliflower is a key ingredient in the Cheese Cauliflower recipe, which requires one cauliflower and one cheese. This recipe can be obtained after reaching 3 hearts of friendship with Pam. Cheese Cauliflower sells for 300g, or 450g with Qi Seasoning, and restores 138 energy and 62 health, or 248 energy and 111 health with Qi Seasoning. Cauliflower can also be eaten on its own to recover energy and health.

In tailoring, cauliflower can be used in the Sewing Machine with cloth to create a dyeable Shirt and Belt. It can also be used to create white dye. When it comes to gifting, cauliflower is loved by Maru, and most other villagers either like or are neutral toward it. However, Abigail, Haley, Jas, Sam, and Vincent dislike receiving cauliflower as a gift.

Cauliflower is also important for completing certain quests. It is required for Jodi’s Request on Spring 19th, which rewards 350g and 1 friendship heart. It may also appear on the “Help Wanted” board outside Pierre’s General Store, where it can be requested for a reward of 525g and 150 friendship points. Additionally, cauliflower is used in the Spring Crops Bundle in the Pantry. In remixed bundles, five Gold Star Cauliflowers can be used in the Quality Crops Bundle. This makes cauliflower not only a profitable crop but also a valuable resource for progression in the game.

Giant Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of the few crops in Stardew Valley that has the potential to grow into a giant crop, alongside pumpkins and melons. To grow a giant cauliflower, the seeds must be planted in at least a 3×3 grid, meaning that you will need to plant a minimum of nine cauliflower plants adjacent to each other in a square formation. It’s important to note that giant crops will only grow in tilled soil outdoors, and they will never appear in Garden Pots or your greenhouse. While the greenhouse can be used to grow cauliflower in other seasons, it cannot be used to grow giant crops.

Although cauliflower can grow without fertilizer, using it can significantly boost its size and quality. Deluxe Fertilizer is the best option for maximizing growth, ensuring the largest and highest quality cauliflower possible. Additionally, using Quality Seeds, such as Ancient Seeds, can increase the likelihood of growing larger and more valuable crops. The Agriculturist profession can also assist in maximizing the size of your cauliflower, making it a helpful choice for those focused on growing giant crops. Regular watering is crucial for cauliflower, as insufficient water will cause the plants to wilt, resulting in smaller, lower-quality crops.

Giant cauliflowers are worth significantly more than their smaller counterparts, making them highly valuable for both profit and crafting. They can be used to create items like Cauliflower Soup, adding another benefit to growing them. Additionally, gifting giant cauliflowers to the Community Center can help in completing bundles, further contributing to progress in the game. Growing giant crops, particularly cauliflowers, provides a sense of personal satisfaction as you see your efforts result in a large, impressive harvest. For selling giant crops, the Traveling Cart offers higher prices for high-quality items, making it the best option for getting the most out of your giant cauliflower harvest.

Additional Tips

Crop rotation is a key practice when growing cauliflower, as it helps prevent soil-borne diseases. By rotating your cauliflower planting location each season, you can reduce the risk of diseases that can affect the soil. Regularly inspect your cauliflower plants for pests and diseases. Common pests that affect cauliflower include aphids, cabbage loopers, and slugs.

Insecticidal soap or neem oil can be used to control cabbage loopers, while clubroot, a fungal disease that causes swelling and deformity in the roots, can be prevented by avoiding planting cauliflower in soil that has previously grown other cruciferous vegetables. Support your cauliflower heads as they grow by using trellises or stakes to prevent them from breaking or falling over, ensuring a strong and healthy harvest.

To save cauliflower seeds for future planting, allow the heads to fully ripen on the plant, then cut them off and let them dry in a warm, well-ventilated area. For companion planting, cauliflower benefits from being planted alongside tomatoes, peppers, carrots, or basil, as these plants enhance growth and help deter pests. However, avoid planting cauliflower near strawberries, as they are not compatible with each other. Fertilizing cauliflower is essential for healthy growth. Fertilize the plants every few weeks with a balanced fertilizer, such as one with a 10-10-10 ratio. Organic fertilizers like compost tea or fish emulsion are also great natural options. However, be careful not to over-fertilize, as it can cause the plants to burn.

Watering is crucial for cauliflower, especially during hot and dry weather. Water regularly and deeply at the base of the plants, ensuring the leaves stay dry to prevent fungal diseases. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Mulching around the plants with straw, hay, or compost helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature, while also improving the soil structure and preventing erosion. If you’re looking to speed up growth, consider using Speed-Gro fertilizers. Regular Speed-Gro reduces the growth time to 11 days, while Deluxe Speed-Gro and Hyper Speed-Gro reduce it further to 9 days.

To maximize profit, deliver your giant cauliflowers to the Traveling Cart, as it offers the highest prices for high-quality crops. Early planting is also a key factor for success. Plant your cauliflower seeds as early as possible in the spring to allow the plants to establish a strong root system and maximize their growth potential. Strategic placement is important, too. Choose a sunny spot for your cauliflower patch, avoiding locations prone to shadows or obstructions that might hinder growth. Finally, focus on obtaining Quality Seeds or Ancient Seeds for your cauliflower. These seeds inherently produce larger and more valuable crops, which can contribute to higher profits and better yields.