Sunflower Uses?

[Khaos]

So, I kind of got tired of just lining my farm with the cash-cow crops. I have all the money I need now, so making another bajillion Gs off of berries seems pointless. With that in mind, started going for variety, but I cannot for the life of me, figure out what makes sunflowers profitable.

So, what am I doing wrong? I don't expect to make, like, "Big Cheddar" off them them or anything, but they seem to be LOSING me money.

TL;DR
Sunflower: What do?

[Meteorite Shower]

How are you losing money? Don't you get at least one seed back per crop with sunflowers?

[Sophieee]

I never really lost money with Sunflowers

[Amariel]

Sunflowers can be used to make Oil, used for cooking. Though corn can be used to make the same Oil. Also I believe Haley LOVES sunflowers, so they can be given as gifts to her.

When making Oil, one of the two make it faster than the other. Though I can't remember which was the faster item. Hope this helps. :)

[Johio]

Originally posted by Meteorite Shower:

How are you losing money? Don't you get at least one seed back per crop with sunflowers?

It's only after growing the free seeds are they profitable though...

[Jiriiki]

I'm sure you didn't loose money, but your profits just aren't as great as the "more profitable" ones.

[Khaos]

You can easily lose money. Sometimes you only get one seed back, and you can replant it and pray, or sell it for less than you bought it for. Only occasionally do they drop an excess seed, and even then you have to sell them both to make money.

Other crops, by comparison, will ALWAYS make you money over the price of the seed.

[Meteorite Shower]

Originally posted by Khaos (S'A):

You can easily lose money. Sometimes you only get one seed back, and you can replant it and pray, or sell it for less than you bought it for. Only occasionally do they drop an excess seed, and even then you have to sell them both to make money.

Other crops, by comparison, will ALWAYS make you money over the price of the seed.

...but you get the sunflower in addition to the seed, so again, assuming you only get one seed back, you're still selling the sunflower out of a seed you got for free, which will grow another free seed.

How exactly do you lose money on something you're getting for free?

[Mr. Needful]

Pierre sells sunflower seeds for 200g a pop. Sunflowers sell for 80g a pop. Hence, you need three sunflower harvests to make a profit on them.
TIPS:
1) Plant large batches of sunflowers. Sometimes you'll get two seeds dropped, sometimes zero, but larger harvests get you closer to a 1:1 ratio.
2) Save seeds for next year. While selling the extra seeds from your last harvest of the season may be tempting, hang on to them so you can plant them next year. Essentially, that 200g per seed gets turned into a one-time start-up cost.
3) Turn sunflowers into oil. As mentioned above, you can turn sunflowers into oil just like you can do with corn. It's much more profitable and saves you from having to buy cooking oil from Pierre.
4) Buy seeds from Joja. This is the only item that they beat Pierre with in terms of pricing, at 125g per seed. Thus, you hit profitability by your second harvest, rather than your third.

[TPranara]

I never had a problem with Sunflowers. Do not pick them until the 28th though. They drop seeds regularly enough just by walking through them. I had only 8 sun flowers around a sprinkler, and got an awefully lot of seeds from them, just by walking through them. Although they are a flower, they do nothing for bees though, which is a disappointment.

[Khaos]

AH HA! There we go! You don't have to pick them to get more seeds? Thank you TPranara. Thank you so much. THAT'S what I've been missing. I thought you had to pluck them the moment they grew. Gave me a lot of nothing.

[Meteorite Shower]

Originally posted by TPranara:

I never had a problem with Sunflowers. Do not pick them until the 28th though. They drop seeds regularly enough just by walking through them. I had only 8 sun flowers around a sprinkler, and got an awefully lot of seeds from them, just by walking through them. Although they are a flower, they do nothing for bees though, which is a disappointment.

I've been testing this, and so far my sunflowers have not dropped a single seed by walking through them, nor is it mentioned anywhere that this can happen. Are you sure this isn't a result from a mod?

[Mr. Needful]

Originally posted by Meteorite Shower:

Originally posted by TPranara:

I never had a problem with Sunflowers. Do not pick them until the 28th though. They drop seeds regularly enough just by walking through them. I had only 8 sun flowers around a sprinkler, and got an awefully lot of seeds from them, just by walking through them. Although they are a flower, they do nothing for bees though, which is a disappointment.

I've been testing this, and so far my sunflowers have not dropped a single seed by walking through them, nor is it mentioned anywhere that this can happen. Are you sure this isn't a result from a mod?

I just had a fairy event happen on half my sunflowers right after reading the first comment I quoted. Remembered it and left then unharvested, walking through the flowers every day. By the time the other half of my flowers were ready, I didn't have a single seed drop.

[Rafein]

I do eish Sunflowers affected your Honey. It's the only flower that doesn;t

[Holyvision]

Originally posted by Meteorite Shower:

Originally posted by TPranara:

I never had a problem with Sunflowers. Do not pick them until the 28th though. They drop seeds regularly enough just by walking through them. I had only 8 sun flowers around a sprinkler, and got an awefully lot of seeds from them, just by walking through them. Although they are a flower, they do nothing for bees though, which is a disappointment.

I've been testing this, and so far my sunflowers have not dropped a single seed by walking through them, nor is it mentioned anywhere that this can happen. Are you sure this isn't a result from a mod?

Same here, would also like to know if this is a mod or if TPranara is doing something special to make it happen.

[Rafein]

They can be used in the oil press. You can harvest Sunflowers, replant from the Seed you obtain, and use and leftover Sunflowers/Seeds in the oil press.