So, you’ve started a new farm in Stardew Valley. Sure, you can greet all the citizens, explore the Community Center, or even begin by scoping out who you want to marry right off the bat. But, what about your seeds, left baking in the sun all day? That first crop of parsnips isn’t going to water itself (until you get past Farming Level 2, that is). So, what are the best techniques for watering your farm?
From early on in the game, there are a few resources you can use to water your crops effectively. Here is a detailed breakdown of those resources, techniques, and upgrades to make sure your farm is running in tip-top shape.
Watering Techniques
Watering Can
The watering can is one of the tools you start the game with, and it’s your best friend for a while until you can craft sprinklers. Watering cans can be filled at any water source, be it a lake, river, or well. They only water one tile at a time, though, so this can get a little tedious when you want to have a large swath of crops.
However, here’s where soil can come in handy. There are three types of water-retaining soil that give your crops a chance of staying watered overnight, meaning you don’t have to water as often.
How To Use Soil To Your Advantage
- Types of Soil for Water Retention
- Basic Retaining Soil: there is a moderate chance that this soil will stay watered overnight; mix into existing soil before or after planting and water as usual; can be crafted using 2 stone at Farming Level 4
- Quality Retaining Soil: there is a good chance that this soil will stay watered overnight; mix it into existing soil before or after planting and water as usual; can be crafted using 3 stone and 1 clay at Farming Level 7
- Deluxe Retaining Soil: there is a 100% chance that this soil will stay watered overnight; mix into existing soil before or after planting and water as usual; can be crafted using 5 stone, 3 fiber, and 1 clay from a recipe gained from the Island Trader for 50 cinder shards
Sprinklers
There are a few steps to go through before you can craft your sprinkler. First, Clint has to come to your house and give you the recipe for crafting a furnace. He arrives the morning after you collect at least one copper ore, between 6 am and 11:30 am. Trigger the cutscene by exiting the farmhouse, and you will receive the recipe.
- Furnace
- Materials: 25 stone and 20 copper ore
- Makes: copper bar, refined quartz, iron bar, gold bar, iridium bar, and radioactive bar
Once you craft the furnace, use it to smelt copper and iron bars for your basic sprinkler. Collect copper, iron, and gold from the mines or the quarry (once the coal carts are fixed).
Different Types of Sprinklers
- Sprinkler: this is your basic sprinkler; waters 4 adjacent tiles every morning
- Materials: 1 copper bar and 1 iron bar
- Level needed: Farming Level 2
- Quality Sprinkler: an upgraded sprinkler; waters 8 adjacent tiles every morning
- Materials: 1 iron bar, 1 gold bar, 1 refined quartz
- Level needed: Farming Level 6
- Iridium Sprinkler: top-notch sprinkler; waters 24 adjacent tiles every morning
- Materials: 1 gold bar, 1 iridium bar, 1 battery pack
- Level needed: Farming Level 9
- Sprinkler Upgrades
- Pressure Nozzle: added to any of the three types of sprinklers in batches of 4, these nozzles increase the sprinkler’s watering range. A basic sprinkler now waters a 3×3 area, quality sprinklers water 5×5, and iridium sprinklers water 7×7. These can be purchased from Qi’s Walnut Room for 20 Qi Gems
- Enricher: when attached to a sprinkler, this disperses fertilizer while watering crops at the same time. Fertilizer must be loaded into the Enricher before seeds are planted. These can be purchased also from Qi’s Walnut Room for 20 Qi Gems
How To Have A Fully Automated Watering System
Where To Place Your Sprinklers
Placing your sprinklers is key when looking to manage a fully automated watering system on your farm. Sprinklers can’t just be thrown about willy-nilly. They need to be placed precisely and with care to get the most out of them.
For instance, the basic sprinkler will not water the corners of a plot, only the four crops on top, bottom, and side to side. Therefore, you need to plan your layout to be able to reach every crop with your sprinkler. One layout for a basic sprinkler involves placing them in diagonals. Additionally, upgrading your sprinklers will make it easier to have a fully automated watering system with less tricky layouts.
