Berry bushes vs. apple trees...

[AWAWA Liz]

I'm only getting four berries from each berry bush but the apple trees gives me more fruit which is a whopping 15! Do I need better fertilizer? Or are the berry bushes just stuck at giving me 4 measly berries each? A bit annoying I think.

[oni1313]

the number are right. but Berrie regrow faster

[Dosbilliam, Boring but Practical]

It balances out a bit since the only place you can find apples outside of that garden is near the lighthouse, but you'll trip over wild berries if you spend even five seconds looking between your house and the village...and typing that just made every possible recipe involving both berries and apples flash through my head.

[AWAWA Liz]

Originally posted by oni1313:

the number are right. but Berrie regrow faster

Yeah, I just noticed that myself after some more time with harvesting. I thought I would at least get more berries since they're not wild bushes in my orchard. I have 9 berry bushes and 3 apple trees btw. Seems to be balanced in terms of numbers with mashing the fruit and getting the buckets for apple and berry mashes converting them to ferments.

[EVIL Shenanigans]

I've actually been waiting to do this for a while now, just needed a reason - breakdown time!

Just checked, and there have actually been a few changes made semi-recently ...for example, both berries and apples not only restore 5E each, but they also take the same amount of energy and time to harvest; 2 ticks @ 1E each = 2E total. Either/or, disregarding the 2 alternate crafting methods for the Berry and the one alternate crafting method for Apples, one can either work towards processing them further using a Vine Press or consume them as they come.
P.S. This all assumes you have the Master Gatherer perk, jfyi.

Regarding the latter, a Berry harvest should net you 18E (4*5-2), while an Apple harvest should net you 73E (15*5-2) - making Apples the *clear* winner in this regard. Even when taking into consideration their stack size, they each stack up to 30 (or 150E per stack), making them relatively 'even' in that regard ...except the Apple only requiring 4E and 2 sources, while the Berry would require 7.5 sources and 15E to compare.

Regarding the former, let's assume you want to process a total of 4 buckets. Each bucket takes 10 Apples or 25 Berrys each, along with the time and 5E to craft each bucket, so we're taking on a debit of 220E in regards to Apples (40*5+20) and 520E in regards to Berry's (100*5+20). This hypothetical also utilizes a mere 1.33 stacks of Apples, while requiring 3.33 stacks of Berry. Let's see if we can get a net positive, or some other advantage...

Prior to even utilizing the fermentation barrel, one can 'use' the bucket, providing the user with 5x bottles of juice. They stack in groups of 20x, with the apple variety providing 12E and the Berry variety providing 18E. Thus, if all 4 of each bucket were used in this manner, you would be left with a stack of Apple product worth 240E or a stack of Berry product worth 360E. The apple batch essentially breaks even, providing a slightly superior concentrate (compared to the original stack of Apples), while the Berry batch takes a significant hit to Energy (160E wasted), but has been significantly concentrated (3.33 stacks down to 1).

Now on to ferment (or 'greater' juice), which requires another workstation (Fermentation Barrel), but just a bit more effort and time (4 min / ~0.5 in-game days); 2 buckets are combined to make 10x products which stack up to 20x (same as the juices), though with a higher potency - the apple variety provides 22E while the Berry variety provides 34E. So, you're left with a total of 440E per stack of apple product, and 680E per stack of Berry product - double the energy output of juice, with the same stack-size, making either of them worthwhile.

TLDR

Berries;
8 harvests, 2E/ea. = 1.06 stack / net +144E
3.33 stacks -> 4x bucket, 5E/ea. = -520E debit
Use 4 buckets -> 1 stack = 360E / net -160E
Ferment 4 buckets -> 1 stack = 680E / net +160E

Apple;
2 harvests, 2E/ea. = 1 stack / net 146E
1.33 stacks -> 4x bucket, 5E/ea. = -220E debit
Use 4 buckets -> 1 stack = 240E / net +20E
Ferment 4 buckets -> 1 stack = 440E / net +220E

Berry vs Apple

...Apple. Yes, it's ferment isn't as strong though it's good for Booze, and despite the Berry having more sources, it also has more applications and requires a lot more to make the ferment. The Apple is rarer overall and has a significantly better harvest, making it the clear choice. I'd fill all 12 spots with Apple trees, and just make a point to harvest wild Berries as it's convenient.

[Dosbilliam, Boring but Practical]

I'm going to add, though, that you can't use Apples for Cake. It's a bit more expensive since you need to buy the stuff for Pastry Dough, but that gets fairly low since it's spread over 4 P. Dough, meaning 4 Cakes; the Honey's also not that difficult to get once you get a couple of beehives going, and without buffs a single cake is 95 Energy. :3

[JVC]

I've got three apple trees, nine berry bushes and I also collect berries from the one or two bushes east of the zombie farm and from the one or two bushes next to the beehive area. That ratio works nicely for me.

[AWAWA Liz]

Originally posted by JVC:

I've got three apple trees, nine berry bushes and I also collect berries from the one or two bushes east of the zombie farm and from the one or two bushes next to the beehive area. That ratio works nicely for me.

How did we both come to the same conclusion of how many apple trees and berry bushes we use and have for the garden plot? What a strange feeling, I don't know what to call it.

[Psyringe]

Originally posted by l1z4rdbr34th:

How did we both come to the same conclusion of how many apple trees and berry bushes we use and have for the garden plot? What a strange feeling, I don't know what to call it.

Well ... in my native tongue, the commonly used phrase for such situations is "Two idiots, same thought". But I actually prefer the slightly different meaning of the English variant, "Great minds think alike". ;)

[AWAWA Liz]

Originally posted by Psyringe:

Originally posted by l1z4rdbr34th:

How did we both come to the same conclusion of how many apple trees and berry bushes we use and have for the garden plot? What a strange feeling, I don't know what to call it.

Well ... in my native tongue, the commonly used phrase for such situations is "Two idiots, same thought". But I actually prefer the slightly different meaning of the English variant, "Great minds think alike". ;)

I like that! So that was what it was.

[EVIL Shenanigans]

Just made a quick circuit around the map to find all sources of either Berry or Apple (west to east):

Berry;
4x in western forest (far north-west from Sweet Home)
1x in eastern forest (far north from Sweet Home)
5x in Apiary (north from Sweet Home)
1x near Graveyard (south-west from Sweet Home)
2x near Veg Garden (south-east from Sweet Home)
1x in Farmer's garden
3x near Wheat Field
1x in Adam's garden (pottery merchant)
2x north/north-east of Dead Horse
3x south-east of Dead Horse
3x in LH-Keeper's garden

26x total bushes, 104 Berry, 3.46 stacks ...might've even missed a few.

Apple;
0x in Farmer's garden (can't harvest)
5x in LH-Keepers orchard (only drops 4x/ea, might need to dig up stumps first)

5x(?) total trees, 20 Apple, 0.66 stacks.

Summary

Even if you generally prefer Berry's, and even if you somehow have a greater need for them over Apples, I just don't see what another 12x bushes (48 Berry / +40%) could really accomplish ...especially when compared to 12 'greater' trees (180 Apple / +900%). But meh...