Stardew Valley: How to Get the Greenhouse and Grow Plants in Winter
We show you how to unlock the heated building that allows you to grow crops in any season.
Anybody who's played Stardew Valley for a while knows that things get a little difficult during Winter, when the weather prevents anything from being grown outside and kills anything that was already there. Fortunately, there's a way around that. We'll show you how to unlock the Greenhouse and keep farming in the Winter.
How to Grow Plants During Winter
If you want to grow crops, the only way to do it is inside a Greenhouse, which provides earth for planting while also protecting the harvest from the cold. There's actually a Greenhouse on your farm when the game starts, but it's dilapidated and broken, currently unusable as anything but a big lawn ornament. If you want to restore it, there's one of two paths available to you.
How to Get the Greenhouse
If you want to get the Greenhouse, you can either do it by completing the "Pantry" bundle in the Community Center, or by paying Joja Community Development Projects.
If you pick the first option, you'll have to amass five separate groups of items and put them in the frame in the storage room in the Community Center. You'll actually get rewards along the way for each section, so it doesn't feel quite so laborious. You'll need these items specifically:
Spring Crops Bundle
- Parsnip
- Green Bean
- Cauliflower
- Potato
Summer Crops Bundle
- Tomato
- Hot Pepper
- Blueberry
- Melon
Fall Crops Bundle
- Corn
- Eggplant
- Pumpkin
- Yam
Quality Crops Bundle
- Parsnip (Gold Quality)
- Melon (Gold Quality)
- Pumpkin (Gold Quality)
- Corn (Gold Quality)
Animal Bundle
- Large Milk
- Large Egg
- Large Brown Egg
- Large Goat Milk
- Wool
- Duck Egg
Collecting the crops is pretty straightforward, if rather a long-term chore, requiring you to do at least three seasons of work, and getting the Gold Quality crops means giving up on some real money-making fruit. Still, it's arguably worth it, especially considering this is still definitely the cheaper option. The Animal Bundle will require you to get some of the game's animals, though it is possible to get all of these items in the Travelling Cart, so make sure to check it regularly when it appears on Fridays and Sundays!
After you've accumulated all these items and donated them, ending the day will reveal a short cutscene in which the Center's resident sprites - the Junimos - appear in your farm and rebuild the Greenhouse. It'll be usable from the day after that.
How to Get the Greenhouse Through Joja Community Development Projects
If you prefer other people to do your work for you, you could always give an absurd amount of money to the Joja Corporation. Head to JojaMart and purchase a membership from Morris for 5000g. This'll allow you to access the Joja Community Development Form, which essentially allows you to pay money for many of the improvements that the Community Center can do, and the Greenhouse is one of them - though it costs an exorbitant 35000g. Still, pay the money and Morris will have the Greenhouse built to be ready the next day, allowing you to do Winter planting.
How to Use the Greenhouse
Now accessible in your farm, the Greenhouse essentially functions like a normal field all year round. It's protected from random events and cold weather, but also doesn't restore or provide for plants. It won't water them for you, and won't even get them wet if it's raining outside; you'll either to water them yourself or put in a sprinkler. Still, it ensures you can keep crops going throughout the year, no matter what.
Why not see what else Stardew Valley has to offer? You can find out more about the game's multiplayer here, or follow this guide to see how you can farm the rare and valuable Iridium.