Unlocking the Island Hardwood Growing System
While your island starts with several fruit trees, the ability to cultivate hardwood trees for their valuable wood resources is a fundamental step in island development. Hardwood is essential for crafting a wide array of tools, furniture, and even structural components later in the game. Fortunately, unlocking the system for growing your own hardwood trees is straightforward and integrated into your initial progression.
The key to accessing hardwood saplings lies with Timmy and Tommy Nook at Resident Services. Once their tent is established, they will begin to offer a rotating stock of items. To unlock the ability to purchase hardwood saplings, you simply need to:
- Progress through Tom Nook's initial tasks: Focus on completing the early objectives he sets for you, such as paying off your initial tent loan (5,000 Nook Miles) and gathering materials.
- Visit Timmy and Tommy at Resident Services: Regularly check their inventory inside the Resident Services tent.
- Purchase a "Sapling": Eventually, Timmy and Tommy will begin selling "Saplings" for 60 Bells each. These are the young hardwood trees. They may not appear immediately, so continue checking daily.
Once you've acquired a sapling, you can plant it anywhere on your island where there's open ground. Remember to leave at least one clear space in every direction around the sapling for it to grow properly. It takes approximately three days for a sapling to mature into a full-grown hardwood tree, ready for harvesting wood.