Why Profit Per Minute Matters
Total profit per harvest is misleading. A crop that earns 1,000 coins in 30 minutes (33 coins/min) is less profitable than a crop earning 200 coins in 5 minutes (40 coins/min). This comprehensive analysis ranks all crops by their true profitability: profit per minute.
Understanding PPM (Profit Per Minute) is the difference between earning 10,000 coins per hour and 30,000 coins per hour with the same effort. This guide provides exact numbers so you can make data-driven farming decisions.
S-Tier: Best Profit Per Minute (40+ coins/min)
🍅 Tomatoes - 45 coins/min
Growth Time: 8 minutes | Profit: 360 coins | Multi-Harvest: 4x
The undisputed king of profit per minute. Multi-harvest mechanics mean you plant once and harvest 4 times, eliminating seed costs for 3 harvests. Accessible mid-game and scales excellently.
🌶️ Peppers - 40 coins/min
Growth Time: 6 minutes | Profit: 240 coins
Slightly lower PPM than tomatoes but faster growth means more frequent harvests. Excellent for active players who can harvest every 6 minutes.
🥒 Cucumbers - 42 coins/min
Growth Time: 7 minutes | Profit: 294 coins | Multi-Harvest: 3x
Another multi-harvest champion. Cheaper seed cost than tomatoes makes them more accessible for newer players.
A-Tier: Excellent PPM (30-39 coins/min)
🌽 Corn - 36 coins/min
Growth Time: 5 minutes | Profit: 180 coins
The best non-multi-harvest crop. Fast growth and good profit make it perfect for beginners and active farmers.
🍓 Strawberries - 38 coins/min
Growth Time: 10 minutes | Profit: 380 coins | Multi-Harvest: 5x
Highest total profit of any beginner-accessible crop. The 5 harvests mean massive returns, plus high mutation rates add bonus value.
🥬 Lettuce - 32 coins/min
Growth Time: 4 minutes | Profit: 128 coins
Fast rotation crop perfect for filling gaps in your harvest schedule. Lower total profit but excellent PPM.
B-Tier: Good PPM (20-29 coins/min)
🌾 Wheat - 25 coins/min
Growth Time: 2 minutes | Profit: 50 coins
Ultra-fast growth makes it perfect for building initial capital. Not the best long-term, but essential for early game.
🥔 Potatoes - 27 coins/min
Growth Time: 3 minutes | Profit: 81 coins
Solid early-game crop that bridges the gap between wheat and corn.
🎃 Pumpkins - 29 coins/min
Growth Time: 22 minutes | Profit: 638 coins
High total profit but long growth time. Best for AFK farming or overnight planting.
C-Tier: Average PPM (10-19 coins/min)
🥕 Carrots - 15 coins/min
Growth Time: 1 minute | Profit: 15 coins
Fastest growth but lowest profit. Only use for the first 5-10 minutes of gameplay.
🍉 Watermelons - 18 coins/min
Growth Time: 35 minutes | Profit: 630 coins
Despite high total profit, the long growth time kills PPM. Better options exist unless you're AFK for long periods.
🥦 Broccoli - 16 coins/min
Growth Time: 15 minutes | Profit: 240 coins
Mediocre PPM. Skip this crop entirely and use tomatoes or peppers instead.
Optimal Crop Rotations by Playstyle
For Active Players (Harvesting Every 5-10 Minutes)
Best Rotation: 40% Tomatoes, 30% Peppers, 30% Corn
Expected PPM: 41 coins/min average
Why It Works: Constant harvest opportunities with maximum PPM. You'll always have something ready.
For Semi-Active Players (Harvesting Every 15-30 Minutes)
Best Rotation: 50% Strawberries, 30% Tomatoes, 20% Pumpkins
Expected PPM: 36 coins/min average
Why It Works: Multi-harvest crops reduce replanting frequency. Pumpkins fill long gaps.
For AFK Players (Harvesting Every 1-2 Hours)
Best Rotation: 60% Pumpkins, 40% Watermelons
Expected PPM: 24 coins/min average
Why It Works: Long-growing crops that are ready when you return. Lower PPM but better than empty plots.
Advanced PPM Optimization
Pet Multipliers
Profit-boosting pets multiply your PPM:
- Profit Dragon (+20%): Tomatoes become 54 coins/min
- Golden Cat (+15%): Tomatoes become 51.75 coins/min
- Speed Hawk (-15% growth): Tomatoes become 52.9 coins/min
Plot Upgrades
Profit Plots (+30% value) and Speed Plots (-25% growth) dramatically increase PPM. A tomato on a Profit Plot with Profit Dragon equipped reaches 67.5 coins/min!
Mutation Bonuses
High-mutation crops like strawberries have hidden PPM value. A 3% Golden mutation rate adds approximately 3-5 coins/min to effective PPM through bonus sales.
Common PPM Mistakes
Mistake #1: Focusing on Total Profit
A 2,000-coin crop that takes 60 minutes (33 coins/min) is worse than a 300-coin crop that takes 6 minutes (50 coins/min). Always calculate PPM first!
Mistake #2: Ignoring Multi-Harvest
Multi-harvest crops have hidden PPM value because you don't pay seed costs for extra harvests. A 4-harvest tomato's true PPM is much higher than the simple calculation suggests.
Mistake #3: Not Adjusting for Playstyle
The "best" crop depends on how often you play. Active players should use fast crops. AFK players need slow crops. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.
PPM Calculator Formula
Calculate PPM for any crop:
PPM = (Sell Price - Seed Cost) / Growth Time (minutes)
For Multi-Harvest: PPM = ((Sell Price × Harvests) - Seed Cost) / (Growth Time × Harvests)
Use our Value Calculator for automatic PPM calculations!
Conclusion: Maximize Your Earnings
Profit per minute is the most important metric in Grow a Garden. By focusing on high-PPM crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, you'll earn 2-3x more coins than players using low-PPM crops. Use this data to optimize your farm and watch your wealth skyrocket!
