Basically asking if which one is better? I'm currently working on a Forest Farm, and it's nice and all, but it's a bit crowded when I try to add in more tapper trees. So I currently have three Pine, Four Maple, and Four Oak. But I was thinking to transplant some trees into the forest near the ranch and put the tappers on them since it's okay to do so. Since they're not Fruit trees and don't fall into the non plantable category. I wanted to at least have five of each tree like I had on my pre 1.11 farm. My Farm's current plan out is here: (I took out the trees that aren't considered 'timers') https://stardew.info/planner/short-badger-58/
Honestly not sure how well planting those trees even works outside the farm. I thought I'd read someone say they were unable to. I know you can tap the naturally occurring trees outside the farm.
Or you could do a combination of both. One of each tree on your farm that is a signal for when it is time to harvest. Btw, there are 2 existing maple and oak trees by the bus that could be tapped.
I read that it was only Fruit trees that were now un-plantable outside of the normal farm space. Might have to do a run with the three outside to see if it includes tapper trees. After doing such, it seems that yes, it does include tapper trees. Welp, my question just got mooted.
You can still tap trees outside your farm though (or has that changed too?)... so that would at least save a bit of room (2 oaks and 2 maples by bus and then bunches of pine trees are close-in).
You can tap trees outside your farm, at least for now. I've been doing it at the bus stop ones myself.
As far as I found, after making a couple more tappers. 4 Pines close by in the forest. Two Maples close in the Forest and at the Bus Stop. Two Oak decently near the two maples in the forest and two oaks at the bus stop. Gives me the 5 each go round including the three timer trees near my house. Even if the two Forest Maple ones I somehow managed to mess up and I have to wait for another cycle for 5 Maple Syrups. Gives me plenty of space for what I plan to do. Ancient Fruit Wine and Fairy Honey Mead farm.
I've got the three trees by the bus stop tapped, but most of my trees are by paths on my hilltop farm. I think I have about 20 taps now.
Are you speaking of a drawn-in pathway? So that the clear area necessary for the tree to grow is overlapping a visible pathway? I've been doing some testing on the Riverlands Farm and have found that you can plant trees up against the base of a cliff and they will grow to maturity... assuming that the cliff is South of the tree. Otherwise the game will not allow them to be planted against a cliff. This could be useful if it also holds true for the Hilltop Farm. They can also be planted (and will mature) next to water -- successful with one corner of their grow zone missing and also with one entire side of their grow zone missing. And they will grow on the edge of the pet's watering dish area. I did get a one-day delay in maturity when planting them in a green area amongst some pine trees, even though it was completely clear around the sapling. And they didn't mature at all in the upper right-hand corner of the farm, with fencing and bushes on two sides of their grow zone. ...not that I have a *thing* for experimenting