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Plants and crops can thrive and become the tastiest versions of themselves when you use fertilizer. Since Stardew Valley is one of the most (if not the most) quintessential farming simulator game right now, it makes sense that the game would have a variety of different fertilizers which all offer different benefits and end results.
So what exactly is fertilizer? Which fertilizer is right for you? All questions can and will be answered below, to help you better grow an understanding of the wonderful game that is Stardew Valley.
What Is Fertilizer And Why Do I Need It?
Simply put, Fertilizer is another item that can help you with your farming, whether it be extra watering, higher-quality crops, or growing faster than normal. You can buy most Fertilizers at Pierre's store, making it easy to upgrade your farming and foraging game if you have the money. If not, it's possible to unlock the crafting recipes for every single Fertilizer in the game, though it will require increasing your Farming level.
One item of Fertilizer is needed per one tile, meaning wide fields of crops will require lots of it, basically as much fertilizer as there are planted crops. Additionally, only one Fertilizer can be placed on a tile at a time, so choose the Fertilizer you want to use wisely!
Fertilizer can't be removed without destroying the crop present on the tile, as it takes two swings of a Pickaxe. Every Fertilizer has a different appearance once placed in the soil, so you can memorize the patterns and recall which ones you've used.
The Benefits Of Standard Fertilizer
The first fertilizer you'll probably run into during your game is the basic fertilizer, which can be purchased from Pierre's in the first Spring. You may not have the money for large amounts then, but reaching farming level one will unlock the basic fertilizer. This group of fertilizers will increase your chances of harvesting crops of a higher quality, such as silver or gold crops. You'll have to use the fertilizer before the seeds sprout, but the increased odds can bring in great money during the early game when kegs and preserve jars aren't available.
- Basic Fertilizer: This will give a small increase to the chance of quality crops. This unlocks at Pierre's store Spring 15 of year one, but crafting one only takes two sap, one of the most common resources in the game.
- Quality Fertilizer: This will increase the chance of gold and silver crops far more than basic fertilizer, though unlocking the crafting recipe only happens when you reach farming level nine. Pierre will start selling it in year two for 150g each. The recipe itself takes two sap and one of any kind of fish.
- Deluxe Fertilizer: This fertilizer is the only way of obtaining iridium-quality crops in the game, with those odds improving the higher your farming level is (like the basic and quality fertilizer). You can only obtain this by purchasing the recipe from Mr. Qi's Walnut room for 20 Qi Gems. It takes one iridium bar and 40 sap, but you'll receive five deluxe fertilizers each time you craft it.
The Benefits Of Retaining Soil Fertilizer
Retaining soil fertilizer is interesting because utilizing it effectively is a bit of a puzzle. Its function is to allow crops the chance to stay watered overnight, meaning they don't have to be watered the next day. This is certainly useful for the early game when sprinklers aren't widely available, but beyond this, retaining soil fertilizer's use is less obvious than the other fertilizers in the game. They can greatly benefit crops planted in Garden Pots, however. You can also use retaining soil fertilizer before or after planting, making it very adaptable.
- Basic Retaining Soil: This gives you a chance for your crops to stay watered overnight and is available after Spring 15 of year one in Pierre's shop. The crafting recipe unlocks at farming level four and requires just two stone.
- Quality Retaining Soil: Your chances of staying watered overnight increase greatly with the quality retaining soil. It can be bought at Pierre's and at the Oasis, but only on Saturdays for the latter. Farming level seven will unlock this recipe which requires one clay and three stone.
- Deluxe Retaining Soil: This guarantees your soil will stay watered overnight, making it quite a powerful item. This can only be obtained by trading 50 cinder shards with the island trader on Ginger Island, upon which they will give you the crafting recipe. Each box will need three fibers, five stones, and one clay.
The Benefits Of Speed-Gro Fertilizer
Speed-gro fertilizer is probably the most beloved fertilizer type in the game because it allows you to grow more crops in a shorter amount of time, and with such short seasons in Stardew Valley, time is money. They can all be used before or after planting, though the best results occur when used along with the seeds.
- Speed-Gro: This fertilizer will ensure a decrease in growth time of ten percent or more. It's available after Spring 15 of year one at Pierre's or upon reaching farming level three. The recipe requires rather obscure ingredients: one pine tar and one clam, so placing tappers on pine trees and beachcombing every day will help you make lots of this. You will get five boxes per crafting.
- Deluxe Speed-Gro: Once this is unlocked at Pierre's shop in year two and you've established a steady source of income, you might find yourself buying this in bulk. It decreases crop growth time by 25 percent or more. Farming level eight will unlock the recipe: five boxes are produced with one oak resin and one coral.
- Hyper Speed-Gro: This stuff is supernatural, or at least some sketchy science. Unlocking this recipe for 30 Qi Gems in Mr. Qi's Walnut Room on Ginger Island is just the beginning. You'll need one radioactive ore, one solar essence, and three bone fragments for every box. The benefits? Decrease in growth time of 33 percent or more.
The Benefits Of Tree Fertilizer
This is new fertilizer was introduced in update 1.4 of the game. Sprinkling this on any non-grown trees in the game (excluding fruit trees) will rapidly speed up their growth.
The best part is they work even in Winter, meaning an evergreen supply of wood and sap is always available to you. Tree fertilizer is unlocked at foraging level seven and requires five fibers and five stones, making it relatively easy to craft, at least compared to hyper speed-gro.