Sapling Creation OSRS Guide for All Players

Ever stared at a pile of tree seeds in your bank and wondered what on earth to do with them? I know I have. Back when I first dipped my toes into Farming in Old School RuneScape, I thought saplings were just some fancy word for baby trees that elves handed out for free. Boy, was I wrong. As someone who’s sunk over 2,000 hours into OSRS Farming—yes, that’s me, the guy with 99 Farming and a backyard full of virtual fruit trees—I’ve learned the hard way that making saplings isn’t just a chore; it’s a gateway to some serious profits and a smoother path to those high-level tree patches. Today, we’re diving deep into how to make a sapling in OSRS, from the basics to pro tips that even saved my ironman account from a total wipeout once.

Let’s keep it real: Farming can feel like watching paint dry if you’re not prepared, but once you nail the sapling game, everything clicks. Stick around, and I’ll share my personal mishaps, like the time I accidentally watered a pot with a bucket of lava instead of a watering can. Spoiler: It didn’t end well.

Picture this: You’ve got a shiny new tree seed, maybe a yew or a magic one you snagged from a bird nest during some chaotic Slayer task. A sapling is basically that seed’s teenage phase—it’s the ready-to-plant version you stick into a tree patch to grow a full-blown tree for XP and those sweet, sweet fruit or logs.

In simple terms, a sapling is a tree seedling that’s grown just enough in a plant pot to be viable for planting. Without it, you’d be stuck staring at your seed, going, “Now what?”

I remember my first sapling attempt. I was level 15 Farming, fumbling around Falador park, and I thought “seedling” was just a cute name for the seed itself. Nope. Turns out, you gotta nurture it like a Tamagotchi from the 90s. One wrong move, and poof—dead plant.

But hey, question for you: Ever lost a rare seed because you forgot to water it? Yeah, me too. The answer? Pay attention to the growth stages, which we’ll cover next.

Why Bother Making Saplings Your Own Way

Before we get our hands dirty, let’s chat motivation. Why not just buy saplings straight from the Grand Exchange? Fair point. They’re convenient, especially if you’re a main account with fat stacks of GP. But for ironmen like I was for a year—grinding seeds from contracts and nests—making them yourself is a lifesaver. Plus, it’s cheaper in the long run and gives you that satisfying “I built this” vibe.

From my experience, crafting saplings turned my ironman Farming from a slog into a semi-AFK money printer. I once made 500 magic saplings in an afternoon, sold half on the GE, and funded a whole Barrows run. Boom—profit.

Short answer to “Is it worth it?”: Absolutely, if you’re patient. And trust me, OSRS rewards patience like nothing else.

The Essential Items You’ll Need to Get Started

No fancy setups here; OSRS keeps it straightforward. Grab these from any farming shop or your bank, and you’re golden.

Here’s a quick list to tick off:

• Tree seed: The star of the show. Start with oaks (level 15) if you’re new.
• Filled plant pot: Buy empty ones from farming stores and fill ’em with soil using a trowel.
• Gardening trowel: For planting the seed into the pot.
• Watering can: Full of water, obviously. Or, pro tip: Unlock Lunar spells for Humidify later.

I always keep a stack of 100 filled pots in my bank tab. Saves running back to Catherby every five minutes. And don’t forget compost if you’re paranoid about disease—though for saplings, it’s rare.

One time, I forgot my trowel mid-grind. Had to teleport to Falador, buy one, and lost 10 minutes. Lesson learned: Inventory management is king.

Step-by-Step Guide How to Make a Sapling from Scratch

Alright, let’s roll up our sleeves. This process is dead simple, but timing matters. I’ll break it down like I’m walking you through it over a beer at the Blue Moon Inn.

Step 1 Locate and Fill Your Plant Pots

Head to a farming patch—Falador or Catherby work great for noobs. Buy plant pots from the nearby farmer or leprechaun. Right-click an empty pot and select “Fill” with your trowel equipped. You’ll need soil, which comes free with the pot.

Pro tip: Stock up on pots beforehand. They’re cheap, like 1 GP each.

In my early days, I’d fill one pot at a time. Waste of time. Now? I bulk-buy 28 at once, since that’s your inventory limit minus essentials.

Step 2 Plant the Seed into the Pot

With your filled pot selected, use the tree seed on it. Make sure you meet the Farming level—oak saplings need 15, maples 45, and so on. No level? No sapling. Boosts like a garden pie can help if you’re close.

You’ll get a “seedling” message. It’s wiggly and cute, but don’t get attached yet.

Question: What happens if you plant the wrong seed? Short answer: You waste a pot and start over. Happened to me with a celastrus seed once—cried real tears.

This step takes seconds. Do it 28 times, bank the seedlings, repeat. Efficiency, baby.

Step 3 Water That Bad Boy and Wait It Out

Here’s the magic part. Use a watering can on the seedling. It’ll say “The seedling has only just been planted” at first—no water needed yet. Wait a tick, then water again. Boom: It sprouts into a sapling in about five minutes.

But get this: You can bank the watered seedlings, and they’ll grow while you’re off slaying dragons. Game-changer.

I once left 200 seedlings in my bank overnight. Woke up to a full stack of yew saplings. Felt like Christmas.

Long story short, watering is key. Skip it, and your seedling dies. I’ve lost maybe 50 seeds that way over the years—don’t be me.

Step 4 Harvest and Store Your Fresh Sapling

Once grown, right-click the sapling pot and “Empty” it. Out pops your shiny new sapling, ready for a tree patch.

They stack in your inventory and bank—handy for big runs. Tool leprechauns note them too, if you’re planting far away.

Personal tale: During a Farming Guild marathon, I filled my entire bank with redwood saplings. Sold the extras for 5M GP. That funded my first Infernal Cape grind. Saplings pay dividends.

Quick Reference Table for Tree Saplings by Farming Level

Not all trees are created equal. Here’s a handy table I whipped up from my own notes—covers the basics to reds. Levels are for planting the sapling, but you need the same to make it.

This table’s saved my butt more times than I can count. Spot anything missing? Drop a comment—I’m always tweaking it.

Pro Tips to Speed Up Your Sapling Factory

Once you’ve got the basics down, it’s time to optimize. As an OSRS vet, I’ve turned sapling-making into a 6k GP/hour flip on good days.

First off, unlock Lunar Magic ASAP. The Humidify spell waters all your seedlings at once—no clicking like a madman. I grinded Lunar for this alone; worth every second.

Second, spam-click method for irons: Plant seeds in your last inventory slot, then rapid-fire water. Tedious? Yeah. Effective? You bet. I did this for weeks on my iron, netting enough maples to hit 70 Farming.

Third, use the Farming Guild. At 65 Agility and 60 Farming, it’s a hub for pots and seeds. No more trekking to Ardougne.

And don’t sleep on contracts with Guild farmers. They hook you up with seeds, turning a grind into a treasure hunt.

Ever tried making saplings while watching Netflix? I have. Pop in seeds, water, bank, repeat. AFK gold.

One caveat: Magic seeds have low GE limits, so stockpile or alternate trees. I once hit the cap mid-flip—ragequit for a day.

Common Mistakes That’ll Kill Your Seedlings and How to Dodge Them

We all screw up. I sure have. Let’s laugh at my fails so you don’t repeat them.

Mistake 1: Forgetting to water. Seedlings shrivel up fast. Solution: Set a timer or use Humidify. Lost a stack of yews this way—ouch.

Mistake 2: Wrong level planting. You can’t make a redwood sapling at 80 Farming. Boosts help, but plan ahead.

Mistake 3: Not banking growth. Leave ’em out, and they might die in your inv. Bank ’em wet, grow safe.

Short para: And yeah, mixing up pots with herb ones? Rookie error. Labels matter.

Longer ramble: My biggest flop was during a double XP weekend. Hyped, I bulk-planted 100 seedlings without checking water levels. Half died because I tabbed out for a phone call. Cost me 2M in magic seeds. Moral? Stay focused, or at least have a backup stack.

Question: What’s your worst Farming fail? Mine’s that one—still stings.

Turning Saplings into Real GP A Flipping Guide

Saplings aren’t just for XP; they’re money trees (pun intended). Buy low seeds, make saps, sell high.

From my flips: Magic saps hover 150k—buy seeds at 50k, craft, profit 80k each. Do 20/hour? That’s 1.6M.

Table for quick flips:

Test small first—markets crash. I lost 500k once on willow dips. Oof.

My Personal Journey From Sapling Noob to Farming God

Let’s get chatty. I started OSRS in 2013, pure combat kid. Farming? Boring. Then a friend dragged me into tree runs. First sapling: Oak, shaky hands, took 10 minutes.

Fast-forward: Hit 99 last year after 1,500 hours. Saplings were my bridge—made thousands for palms and reds. On iron, it was therapy: Plant, wait, harvest. Like real gardening, minus weeds.

Favorite memory? Redwood batch during a storm—power flickered, but bank grew anyway. Felt unstoppable.

Why share? Because I wish someone told newbie me: Start small, scale up. You’ll get there.

Wrapping It Up What’s Next for Your Green Thumb

There you have it—how to make a sapling in OSRS, demystified. From seedling to stack, it’s all about rhythm. Grab those pots, plant away, and watch your bank grow.

Got questions? Like, “Hey, can I make elder saplings?” Short answer: Yep, level 95, but they’re beasts.

Experiment, fail, learn. That’s OSRS. Drop your tips below—maybe I’ll steal one for my next run.

Happy Farming, friends. May your trees never disease.