Fastest Farming Guide OSRS – Level Up Quickly in 2025
Farming in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a unique skill that rewards patience and strategy, offering both experience and profit. Unlike active skills like combat, Farming is mostly passive, with crops growing over time even when you’re offline. This guide dives into the fastest methods to train Farming from level 1 to 99, optimized for efficiency and speed in 2025. Whether you’re a new player or a veteran looking to max out, these tips will help you level up quickly while minimizing costs and time.
Farming isn’t just about growing crops—it’s a gateway to profits, quests, and even a sense of accomplishment. High Farming levels unlock valuable activities like herb runs for consistent gold and access to end-game content like the Farming Guild. Plus, it’s a skill that fits into any playstyle since you can do other tasks while your crops grow. The fastest methods focus on maximizing experience per hour, making it ideal for players chasing that 99 or the coveted Farming cape.
Benefits of High Farming Levels
- Profit from Herbs: High-level herb runs can yield millions in gold weekly.
- Quest Requirements: Quests like Song of the Elves need Farming levels.
- Passive Training: Crops grow offline, perfect for busy players.
Getting Started with Low-Level Farming
Starting Farming can feel slow, but early levels are crucial for building momentum. The goal is to skip tedious grinding by using quests and cheap methods to reach level 35–38, where efficient tree runs become viable. Here’s how to kick things off quickly.
Questing for Early Levels
Quests are the fastest way to bypass the slow early levels. Completing specific quests grants enough experience to jump straight to mid-tier training methods. Here’s a list of must-do quests:
- Goblin Generals (Recipe for Disaster subquest): 1,000 XP
- Fairytale I – Growing Pains: 3,500 XP, unlocks Magic Secateurs
- Forgettable Tale…: 5,000 XP (requires 17 Farming)
- Garden of Tranquillity: 5,000 XP (requires 25 Farming)
- Enlightened Journey: 3,000 XP (requires 30 Farming)
- My Arm’s Big Adventure: 5,000 XP (requires 29 Farming)
Completing these grants around 32,500 XP, boosting you to level 38. This skips hours of low-level grinding and unlocks tree runs immediately.
Bagged Plants for Quick XP
If questing isn’t your style, planting bagged plants in your Player-Owned House (POH) is a fast alternative. Buy bagged plants from the garden supplier in Falador, plant them in your POH, and remove them for XP. This method is expensive (expect 500k–1M GP), but it’s quick for levels 1–20.
| Bagged Plant | Farming Level | XP Gained | Cost (GP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bagged Nice Tree | 1 | 44 | 2,000 |
| Bagged Oak Tree | 15 | 70 | 5,000 |
| Bagged Willow Tree | 30 | 100 | 10,000 |
Tip: World-hop to restock bagged plants faster if the supplier runs out.
Mastering Tree Runs for Maximum XP
Tree runs are the backbone of fast Farming training. They offer massive XP in just a few minutes per run, making them the most efficient method from level 15 to 99. A single run takes 5–10 minutes, and with proper planning, you can hit over 1M XP per hour effectively.
How Tree Runs Work
Plant the highest-tier tree, fruit tree, and special tree saplings you can afford, check their health for XP, pay gardeners to remove them, and replant. Trees grow over hours, so you can do 1–2 runs daily while focusing on other skills in between. Here’s a breakdown:
- Regular Trees: Oak, Willow, Maple, Yew, Magic.
- Fruit Trees: Apple, Banana, Orange, Pineapple, Palm, Dragonfruit.
- Special Trees: Calquat, Celastrus, Crystal, Redwood.
Optimal Tree Run Setup
To maximize efficiency, use teleports to hit all patches quickly. Here’s a sample route for a level 85+ player:
- Lumbridge Tree Patch: Lumbridge Teleport, plant Magic Tree.
- Varrock Tree Patch: Varrock Teleport, plant Magic Tree.
- Falador Tree Patch: Falador Teleport, plant Magic Tree.
- Taverley Tree Patch: House Teleport (if in Taverley), plant Magic Tree.
- Gnome Stronghold Fruit Tree: Spirit Tree, plant Palm Tree.
- Catherby Fruit Tree: Catherby Teleport, plant Palm Tree.
- Farming Guild Celastrus Patch: Skills Necklace, plant Celastrus Tree.
Pro Tip: Use Ultracompost to boost yields and reduce disease risk. Pay gardeners to protect trees (noted items work) to save time.
Tree Run XP and Costs
Here’s a table of high-level trees for efficient runs:
| Tree Type | Level Required | XP (Check Health) | Sapling Cost (GP) | Protection Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magic Tree | 75 | 13,768 | 100,000 | 25 Coconuts |
| Palm Tree | 68 | 10,150 | 80,000 | 15 Papayas |
| Celastrus Tree | 85 | 14,130 | 50,000 | 8 Dragonfruit |
A single run with Magic, Palm, and Celastrus trees can yield ~100,000 XP in 5 minutes, equating to 1.2M XP/hr if extrapolated over an hour’s effort.
Supplementing with Herb Runs
While tree runs are king for XP, herb runs add profit and extra Farming XP. They’re quick (5–10 minutes) and can be done every 80 minutes, fitting perfectly between tree runs. Herbs grow fast, and with high-level seeds, you’ll earn gold to offset tree run costs.
Best Herbs for XP and Profit
Focus on high-yield herbs like Ranarr, Snapdragon, or Torstol at higher levels. Use Ultracompost and Magic Secateurs (from Fairytale I) to boost yields by 10%. Here’s a quick guide:
- Ranarr Weed: Level 32, ~800 XP per patch, 50k–100k profit.
- Snapdragon: Level 62, ~1,000 XP per patch, 100k–150k profit.
- Torstol: Level 85, ~1,200 XP per patch, 150k–200k profit.
Herb Run Route
Hit all nine herb patches for maximum efficiency:
- Falador: Explorer’s Ring or Falador Teleport.
- Port Phasmatys: Ectophial (from Ghosts Ahoy).
- Catherby: Catherby Teleport.
- Ardougne: Ardougne Cloak or Teleport.
- Hosidius: Xeric’s Talisman or Spirit Tree.
- Troll Stronghold: Stony Basalt (after Making Friends with My Arm).
- Weiss: Icy Basalt.
- Farming Guild: Skills Necklace.
- Varlamore: Quetzal Whistle.
Tip: Store tools with the Tool Leprechaun to save inventory space. A Herb Sack (from Tithe Farm) holds herbs for convenience.
Advanced Tips for Farming Efficiency
Once you’re comfortable with tree and herb runs, fine-tune your strategy to save time and GP while boosting XP rates. These advanced tips are perfect for players aiming for 99 or tackling Ironman accounts.
Useful Items and Unlocks
Invest in these to streamline your runs:
- Magic Secateurs: 10% yield boost for herbs and allotments.
- Farmer’s Outfit: 2.5% XP boost (from Tithe Farm).
- Bottomless Compost Bucket: Infinite Ultracompost, saves trips.
- Graceful Outfit: Faster run energy restoration.
- Seed Box: Stores multiple seed types, reduces clutter.
Tithe Farm for Budget Players
If tree runs are too expensive, Tithe Farm offers decent XP (30k–70k/hr) at level 34+. Plant Golovanova, Bologano, or Logavano seeds, water them, and harvest for points to buy rewards like the Farmer’s Outfit. It’s active training but costs nothing compared to saplings.
Ironman Considerations
Ironmen can’t buy saplings easily, so focus on seed drops from Slayer, Wintertodt, or Birdhouse Runs. Quests are even more critical to skip early levels. Use allotments (e.g., Snape Grass) for low-cost XP while saving seeds for tree runs later.
Sample Farming Routine to 99
Here’s a daily plan to hit 99 Farming efficiently:
- Morning: Do a full tree run (Magic, Palm, Celastrus, etc.)—100k XP.
- Midday: Run 2–3 herb runs (Snapdragon/Torstol)—20k XP, 500k profit.
- Evening: Second tree run if possible—another 100k XP.
- Weekly: Add Tithe Farm sessions if on a budget—50k XP/hr.
With 200k XP daily from runs, you can hit 13M XP (level 99) in about 65 days, assuming 2–3 hours of active time weekly. Add profits from herbs to fund more saplings and keep the cycle going.
Final Thoughts: Farming in OSRS is a marathon, not a sprint. Tree runs are your fastest path to 99, with herb runs adding profit to sustain costs. Start with quests, optimize teleports, and grab efficiency items like Magic Secateurs. Whether you’re chasing XP or gold, this guide sets you up for success. Happy farming!