Fastest Way to Level Farming in OSRS

Fastest Way to Level Farming in OSRS

Farming in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a unique skill that rewards patience and planning with high experience gains for minimal active time. While it’s often seen as slow due to crop growth times, the right strategies can make leveling Farming fast and efficient. This guide covers the fastest ways to level Farming from 1 to 99, focusing on tree runs, quests, and alternative methods like Tithe Farm. Whether you’re aiming for the Farming cape or just want to boost your total level, these tips will help you maximize experience per hour.

Farming is essential for players chasing high-level goals like the Quest Cape (requires level 70) or Achievement Diary Cape (requires level 91). It’s also a gateway to profitable herb runs and the coveted Tangleroot pet. The skill’s passive nature—where crops grow even when you’re logged out—makes it ideal for players who want to gain experience while focusing on other activities. However, the fastest methods, like tree runs, can be costly, so having a solid gold-making method is recommended.

Questing for Early Levels

Beginners Farming Guide for OSRS

Skip the Grind with Quests

Low-level Farming can be tedious, but completing specific quests can skyrocket you to level 38 in just a few hours. These quests grant significant Farming experience and unlock useful tools like Magic Secateurs, which boost crop yields by 10%.

Completing all these quests yields 32,500 XP, enough to reach level 38. This skips the slow early levels and lets you start effective farm runs immediately.

Questing Tips

To maximize efficiency:

  • Complete quests in order of Farming level requirements.
  • Stock up on teleports (e.g., Ardougne Cloak, Ectophial) to move quickly between quest locations.
  • Grab Magic Secateurs from Fairytale I—they’re a must-have for herb and allotment runs.

Mastering Tree Runs for Maximum XP

Old School RuneScape OSRS Level 199 Farming Guide Gamer Empire

What Are Tree Runs?

Tree runs are the backbone of fast Farming training. You plant high-tier tree and fruit tree saplings across RuneScape’s farming patches, pay farmers to protect them, check their health for XP, and replant. Each run takes 5–10 minutes, and with growth times of 3–16 hours, you can do 1–2 runs daily. This method is passive, as crops grow offline, and offers some of the highest XP rates in Farming.

Optimal Tree Run Plan

For the fastest XP, plant the highest-level trees you can afford. Here’s a breakdown of trees to plant by level:

Level Tree Type XP per Run (6 Trees) Fruit Tree Type XP per Run (5 Fruit Trees)
15 Oak 2,808 N/A N/A
30 Willow 8,706 Apple 5,995
45 Maple 20,412 Banana 8,765
60 Yew 42,060 Pineapple 14,375
75 Magic 82,938 Papaya 21,600
90 Magic 82,938 Dragonfruit 40,165

Pro Tip: Add Calquat trees (level 72, 12,954 XP each) and Redwood trees (level 90, 22,450 XP each) to your runs for extra XP. Do two regular tree runs and one fruit tree run daily.

Tree Run Route and Teleports

Efficiency hinges on fast travel. Use these teleports to hit all patches in under 10 minutes:

Equip weight-reducing gear like Graceful armor and bring Stamina Potions to maintain run energy. Store tools with Tool Leprechauns at each patch to save inventory space.

Cost-Saving Tips

Tree runs are expensive (up to 120M GP for level 99 with Magic trees). To cut costs:

  • Use ultracompost instead of paying farmers for some patches to reduce disease risk.

  • Grow your own saplings by planting tree seeds in filled plant pots and watering them.

  • Use the Humidify spell (level 68 Magic) to water seedlings faster.

  • Steal fruit from Zeah’s Fruit Stalls (requires Hosidius favor) for cheap protection payments.

Boosting XP with Tithe Farm

Tithe Farm Basics

At level 34, unlock the Tithe Farm minigame in Hosidius (requires 100% favor). This active method offers up to 100,000 XP per hour at higher levels, making it a great way to train between tree runs. Plant and water seeds, harvest crops, and deposit them for points and XP.

Tithe Farm Strategy

To maximize XP:

  • Use Gricoller’s Can (200 Tithe Farm points) to water plants efficiently.
  • Plant higher-tier seeds (e.g., Logavano at level 74) for more XP.
  • Bring Stamina Potions and Graceful armor for faster runs.
  • Unlock the Tithe Farm teleport (every 20 minutes) for quick access.

From level 74, Tithe Farm yields 90,000–100,000 XP per hour, making it one of the fastest active Farming methods.

Alternative Methods for Low Levels

Bagged Plants in Player-Owned House

From level 1, plant bagged plants in your Player-Owned House (POH) for quick XP. This is costly (1,000–5,000 GP per plant) but doesn’t require waiting for crops to grow. If your house is in Rimmington, bring noted bagged plants, coins, and watering cans, and hop worlds to restock from the garden supplier. This method is faster than early allotment farming but burns through gold.

Compost Bins for Steady XP

Make supercompost or ultracompost in compost bins for 8.5–10 XP per bucket. Use watermelons or pineapples (buyable from Trader Stan’s Trading Post) as they’re cheap and effective. This is a slow but steady way to train early levels while gathering compost for future runs.

Sorceress’s Garden Minigame

At any level, play the Sorceress’s Garden minigame to pick sq’irk fruits (30–60 XP per pick) or herbs (50 XP per pick). Higher Thieving levels boost efficiency, but it’s a viable low-level option. Completing the winter garden to 15 requires 81 laps, offering decent XP for minimal requirements.

Tips for Efficient Farming

Essential Tools and Boosts

To streamline your Farming journey:

  • Magic Secateurs: Increase yield by 10%, boosting XP from allotments and herbs.

  • Farming Cape: At level 99, instantly harvest all produce from patches.
  • Amulet of Nature: Alerts you to diseased or fully grown crops (bind to one patch).

  • Lunar Magic: Use Cure Plant, Fertile Soil, and teleports like Catherby for efficiency (requires level 83 Magic).

Managing Costs and Profits

Farming is costly, but you can offset expenses:

  • Run herb runs alongside trees for profit (e.g., Ranarr or Snapdragon herbs).
  • Sell excess produce via the Grand Exchange.
  • Use the Scroll of Life (10,000 Dungeoneering tokens) for a 10% chance to recover seeds.

By combining quests, tree runs, Tithe Farm, and alternative methods, you can reach level 99 Farming in as little as 70 days with two daily tree runs of high-tier trees like Magic and Dragonfruit. While the cost is steep (around 120M GP), the time saved allows you to focus on other skills or gold-making activities. Start with quests, master your tree run route, and sprinkle in Tithe Farm for active training. Happy farming!