How long do items persist on the ground outside?

I've occasionally had to leave an item, like wood or stones, uncollected on the ground due to a full inventory. I notice that they persist between area changes (so I can cut down a tree in the Backwoods, run home and clear out my inventory, then go collect the remaining items), and I once picked up some hardwood I'd forgotten about a day or two after cutting it.

How long to items persist outside on the ground? They persist at least a day, but for how long in general: a set number of days, the whole season, … or indefinitely?


Items will disappear over night if they are left on the ground. I just finished testing this:

I placed one item from my inventory on the ground. I also harvested one item from a resource and let it stay on the ground. Then went directly to my bed to sleep and both items were gone the next morning.

I was also curious if crops were an exception, but they disappeared over night as well.

I tried this inside the farm and outside the farm