OSRS Onion Grow Time: A Complete Guide to Farming Onions in Old School RuneScape

OSRS Onion Grow Time: A Complete Guide to Farming Onions in Old School RuneScape


If you’re diving into the world of Farming in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), onions are one of the earliest crops you’ll encounter. Whether you’re a newbie looking to level up your Farming skill or a seasoned player optimizing your runs, understanding the OSRS onion grow time and its mechanics can make a huge difference. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about growing onions in OSRS, from planting to harvest, including tips to maximize your yield and experience. Let’s get started!

In OSRS, onions are an allotment crop that you can start growing at level 5 Farming. The onion grow time is a straightforward 40 minutes from the moment you plant the seeds to when they’re fully grown and ready to harvest. This relatively short growth cycle makes onions an excellent choice for early-game Farming training, offering a balance of decent experience points (XP) and practical use in-game.

How Growth Cycles Work in OSRS

Farming in OSRS operates on a tick-based system, where crops grow in stages. For onions, the 40-minute grow time is divided into four 10-minute growth stages. Each stage represents a visual change in the plant’s development, from freshly planted seeds to fully matured onions. Here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Stage 1: Onion seeds planted (0-10 minutes)
  • Stage 2: Small onion plants emerge (10-20 minutes)
  • Stage 3: Plants grow taller (20-30 minutes)
  • Stage 4: Fully grown onions ready to harvest (30-40 minutes)

The game checks for growth updates every 10 minutes, so you’ll need to time your visits to the patch accordingly if you want to catch them at the perfect moment.

Factors That Don’t Affect Grow Time

Unlike real-world gardening, watering your onion patch with a watering can doesn’t speed up the OSRS onion grow time. Instead, watering only protects the crop from disease for one growth cycle (10 minutes). Similarly, using compost or its upgraded versions (supercompost or ultracompost) won’t reduce the growth duration—it only boosts yield and reduces disease risk.

How to Grow Onions in OSRS

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Growing onions in OSRS is simple, but there are a few steps and items you’ll need to ensure success. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started.

What You’ll Need

Before heading to an allotment patch, gather these essentials:

  • 3 Onion Seeds: Planted per patch; obtainable from monster drops, seed stalls, or picking onions in fields.
  • Seed Dibber: Used to plant the seeds.
  • Rake: Clears weeds from the patch before planting.
  • Spade: Harvests the onions once grown.
  • Compost (Optional): Reduces disease chance and increases yield.
  • 1 Sack of Potatoes (Optional): Payment for a nearby farmer to watch your patch.

Where to Plant Onions

Onions can only be grown in allotment patches scattered across Gielinor. Some popular locations include:

  • Falador: South of the city, near the cabbage field.
  • Catherby: Near the beach, close to a bank.
  • Hosidius: In the Kourend region, great for late-game players.
  • Ardougne: South of the city, easily accessible.

Each of these spots has two allotment patches side by side, letting you plant onions in both for double the XP and yield per trip.

Step-by-Step Planting Process

  1. Use your rake to clear weeds from the allotment patch.
  2. Apply compost, supercompost, or ultracompost (optional but recommended).
  3. Plant 3 onion seeds using your seed dibber (grants 9.5 XP).
  4. Pay a nearby farmer 1 sack of potatoes to protect your crop (optional).
  5. Wait 40 minutes for the onions to grow.
  6. Harvest with a spade (grants 10.5 XP per onion).

Maximizing Onion Yield and XP

While the OSRS onion grow time remains fixed at 40 minutes, you can tweak your approach to get more onions and XP per patch. Here’s how:

Using Compost for Better Yields

Compost directly impacts how many onions you harvest. Onions have a base of 3 harvest lives, which increases by 1 per tier of compost:

Compost Type Harvest Lives Disease Protection
No Compost 3 Low
Compost 4 Moderate
Supercompost 5 High
Ultracompost 6 Very High

Additionally, your Farming level increases the chance of preserving a harvest life, scaling from 41.4% at level 1 to 70.7% at level 99. With ultracompost and a high Farming level, you could harvest up to 10+ onions per patch!

Protecting Your Onions

Disease can wipe out your crop before the 40-minute grow time is up. To minimize this risk:

  • Pay a Farmer: 1 sack of potatoes ensures your onions stay safe.
  • Plant Marigolds: Growing marigolds in a nearby flower patch protects onions from disease naturally.
  • Use Ultracompost: Reduces disease chance by 90% per growth stage.

Why Grow Onions in OSRS?

Onions might not be the flashiest crop, but they have their uses in OSRS, especially for low-level players. Let’s explore why they’re worth your time.

Farming XP and Early Training

At level 5 Farming, onions provide a solid XP rate for beginners. You earn 9.5 XP for planting and 10.5 XP per onion harvested. With an average yield of 5-7 onions per patch (using supercompost), you’re looking at roughly 62-76 XP per patch every 40 minutes. For comparison, potatoes (level 1) offer slightly less XP, while cabbages (level 7) are marginally better but less profitable.

Practical Uses for Onions

Onions aren’t just for XP—they have in-game utility too:

  • Cooking: Onions heal 1 hitpoint when eaten raw and are used in recipes like stews.
  • Quests: Needed for “Witch’s Potion” and indirectly in “Garden of Tranquillity” (grow onions to progress).
  • Yellow Dye: Combine 2 onions and 5 coins with Aggie or Ali the Dyer.
  • Compost: Add to compost bins for regular compost.

Tips and Tricks for Efficient Onion Farming

To make the most of the OSRS onion grow time, efficiency is key. Here are some pro tips to streamline your Farming runs.

Timing Your Runs

Since onions take exactly 40 minutes to grow, plan your Farming trips around this window. Pair onion planting with other crops like herbs or hops, which also have 40-minute cycles, to maximize your time. Use a timer or a third-party client like RuneLite, which can notify you when your patches are ready.

Teleportation for Quick Access

Minimize travel time by using teleports near allotment patches:

Stacking Runs for Low-Level Training

For players between levels 5-15, plant onions across multiple patches (e.g., Falador, Catherby, Ardougne) in one go. By the time you finish planting at the last location, the first patch might be close to ready, letting you loop back for a continuous XP grind.

Conclusion

The OSRS onion grow time of 40 minutes is a perfect entry point into the Farming skill, offering decent XP, practical rewards, and a low barrier to entry. Whether you’re using them to level up early, complete quests, or craft yellow dye, onions are a versatile crop worth adding to your Farming rotation. With the right setup—compost, protection, and efficient timing—you can turn this humble vegetable into a reliable source of progress in Gielinor. So grab your seed dibber, head to an allotment patch, and start growing—your Farming journey awaits!