How to Make Saplings in OSRS A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Make Saplings in OSRS A Step-by-Step Guide

Old School RuneScape (OSRS) offers players many ways to train skills and make gold, and one often overlooked method is making saplings for Farming. Creating saplings can be a profitable side hustle or a way to prepare for tree runs, all while requiring minimal effort. This guide will walk you through the process of making saplings in OSRS, covering requirements, methods, and tips to maximize efficiency and profit. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, you’ll find everything you need to start growing saplings today.

Saplings are essential for training the Farming skill, as they’re planted in tree patches to grow trees like oak, willow, or magic. Many players skip making saplings themselves and buy them directly from the Grand Exchange (GE) because the process gives little to no experience and can feel tedious. However, this creates an opportunity for savvy players to craft saplings and sell them for profit. With the right setup, you can produce hundreds of saplings per hour, making it a low-effort money-making method.

Benefits of Making Your Own Saplings

  • Cost Savings: Growing saplings yourself is cheaper than buying them, especially for high-level trees like magic or yew.
  • Profit Potential: Selling saplings on the GE can yield decent margins, with some saplings netting thousands of gold per unit.
  • Convenience: Saplings grow in your bank, so you don’t need to actively monitor them.
  • Skill Prep: Making saplings prepares you for tree runs, streamlining your Farming training.

Requirements for Making Saplings

Before you start, you’ll need to meet some basic requirements. The good news? The barrier to entry is low, and most players can dive in with minimal preparation.

Farming Level

The Farming level required depends on the type of sapling you’re making. For example:

Tree Type Farming Level Seed
Oak 15 Acorn
Willow 30 Willow seed
Maple 45 Maple seed
Yew 60 Yew seed
Magic 75 Magic seed

Check your Farming level and choose seeds that match your current skill.

Items Needed

To make saplings, gather these essentials:

  • Tree Seeds: Buy from the GE or obtain through birdhouse runs, slayer tasks, or farming contracts.
  • Filled Plant Pots: Purchase empty plant pots from farming shops (e.g., Vanessa in Catherby) and fill them with soil using a gardening trowel.
  • Gardening Trowel: Available at farming shops for a few coins.
  • Watering Can: Get one from any farming shop or use the Humidify spell for efficiency.

Optional but Recommended

  • 68 Magic and Lunar Spellbook: Unlocks Humidify, which waters all seedlings instantly.
  • Steam Battlestaff: Reduces rune costs for Humidify.
  • 5M+ Gold: Ensures you can buy seeds and pots in bulk for profit-focused runs.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Saplings

Now that you’re prepared, let’s break down the process of making saplings. Follow these steps to create them efficiently.

Step 1: Gather Materials

Head to the Grand Exchange and buy your chosen tree seeds, filled plant pots (or empty ones to fill yourself), and a gardening trowel. If you’re filling pots, use a trowel on a farming patch to collect soil. For example, the patch in Falador Park works well.

Step 2: Plant Seeds in Pots

With a gardening trowel in your inventory, use a tree seed on a filled plant pot. This creates a seedling. Repeat for as many pots as you plan to process. If you’re making hundreds, expect this step to take a few minutes unless you’re using a high-volume setup.

Step 3: Water the Seedlings

Use a watering can on each seedling to turn it into a watered seedling, marked with a “(w)” in the name. Alternatively, if you have 68 Magic and access to the Lunar Spellbook (requires completing Dream Mentor), cast Humidify to water all seedlings in your inventory at once. Humidify requires 1 Astral, 1 Fire, and 3 Water runes per cast, but a steam battlestaff saves on Fire and Water runes.

Step 4: Wait for Saplings to Grow

Watered seedlings take about 5 minutes to grow into saplings, even when stored in your bank. You don’t need to keep them in your inventory, making this a great AFK activity. Check back after a few minutes to collect your saplings.

Step 5: Use or Sell Saplings

Once grown, saplings are ready to plant in tree patches for Farming XP or to sell on the GE for profit. To maximize profit, buy one sapling instantly to check the current price, then sell yours just below that value to ensure quick sales.

Tips for Efficient Sapling Production

To make the most of your sapling-making venture, follow these strategies to save time and boost profits.

Optimize with Humidify

Watering seedlings individually with a watering can is slow and click-intensive. Using Humidify cuts this step down to seconds, letting you process thousands of seedlings per hour. At 68 Magic, it’s a game-changer for scalability.

Test the Market First

Before investing millions in seeds, test profitability by making one sapling. Buy a seed and pot, grow the sapling, and sell it on the GE. Calculate the profit margin and multiply by 1,700 (the approximate number of saplings you can make per hour) to estimate hourly earnings.

Stock Up on Seeds

Some seeds, like willow or maple, have low GE buy limits (e.g., 100 per 4 hours). Buy them in advance or diversify by making multiple sapling types to avoid delays. Check live GE prices before committing, as margins fluctuate.

Use Bank Presets

Speed up the process by setting up a bank preset with seeds, filled plant pots, a trowel, and a steam battlestaff. This lets you restock in seconds and get back to crafting.

Combine with Other Activities

Since saplings grow in your bank, you can make them while doing other tasks like questing, slaying, or skilling. Start a batch, go about your day, and sell later for easy gold.

Profitable Sapling Types to Consider

Not all saplings are equally profitable. Below are some of the best options based on market trends and Farming levels, though always verify GE prices before starting.

Oak Saplings (Level 15)

Oak saplings are cheap to make, requiring acorns and filled plant pots. They’re great for low-level players, but profits are modest due to low demand.

Willow Saplings (Level 30)

Willow saplings offer a good balance of accessibility and profit. With a relatively low buy limit, stock up early. You can make around 1M gold per hour at peak prices.

Maple Saplings (Level 45)

Maple saplings are a solid mid-tier option, with decent margins and moderate demand. They’re ideal for players with some capital to invest.

Magic Saplings (Level 75)

Magic saplings are the high rollers of sapling production. Magic seeds are pricey, but the saplings sell for significantly more, sometimes netting 50k+ profit per unit. With Humidify, you can churn out 1,700 per hour for millions in profit.

Fruit Tree Saplings

Fruit tree saplings (e.g., pineapple, papaya) are less common but can be profitable during Farming training spikes. Check GE trends to see if they’re worth making.

Pro Tip: Always diversify your sapling types to hedge against market crashes. If one seed’s price spikes, you can pivot to another.

Making saplings in OSRS is a straightforward, low-effort way to train Farming or earn gold. By gathering the right materials, using Humidify for efficiency, and keeping an eye on GE prices, you can turn a small investment into steady profits. Whether you’re planting oaks at level 15 or magic trees at 75, saplings offer flexibility for any playstyle. Start small, test the market, and scale up as you get comfortable. Happy farming!