Oak Tree OSRS Farming Guide

Farming oak trees in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a fantastic way to level up your Farming skill while gathering valuable resources like oak logs and roots. Requiring only level 15 Farming, oak trees are accessible to both new and experienced players. This comprehensive guide explores how to farm oak trees efficiently, including preparation, planting, growth stages, and tips for maximizing experience and profit. Whether you’re aiming for 99 Farming or just starting, this guide has you covered.

Oak trees are a popular choice for early Farming training due to their low requirements, relatively short growth time, and decent experience rewards. They’re also a stepping stone to higher-level trees like willows and maples, making them ideal for players progressing through the mid-level Farming grind.

Benefits of Farming Oak Trees

• Low Level Requirement: Only level 15 Farming is needed, making it accessible for beginners.
• Fast Growth: Oak trees take approximately 200 minutes (3 hours and 20 minutes) to fully grow, allowing multiple runs per day.
• Experience Gains: Planting grants 14 Farming XP, and checking a fully grown tree yields 467.5 XP.
• Resources: Harvesting provides oak logs and roots, useful for Woodcutting, Fletching, and Construction.
• Cost-Effective: Acorns and protection payments (baskets of tomatoes) are relatively cheap.

Who Should Farm Oak Trees?

Oak tree farming is ideal for players between levels 15 and 30 Farming, those on a budget, or Ironmen seeking self-sustained resources. It’s also great for players who want a low-effort, semi-passive training method.

How to Farm Oak Trees Step-by-Step

Growing oak trees in OSRS involves a straightforward process, but proper preparation can make your runs smoother and more efficient. Follow these steps to get started.

Gathering Materials

Before heading to a tree patch, ensure you have the necessary items. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Acorns: Purchase from the Grand Exchange or obtain through Forestry events.
• Plant Pots: Fill with soil using a gardening trowel.
• Watering Can: To water seedlings.
• Gardening Trowel: For filling pots and planting.
• Spade: To plant saplings and dig up trees.
• Rake: To clear weeds from patches.
• Baskets of Tomatoes: Payment for gardeners to protect your trees (1 basket per tree).
• Supercompost: Optional, but increases yield and reduces disease risk.
• Teleport Items: For quick access to tree patches (e.g., Lumbridge, Varrock, Falador teleports).

Preparing Oak Saplings

To grow an oak tree, you first need to create an oak sapling:

1. Fill a plant pot with soil using a gardening trowel.
2. Plant an acorn in the filled pot.
3. Water the pot with a watering can to create an oak seedling.
4. Wait a few minutes for the seedling to grow into an oak sapling (this can happen while banked).

Planting and Protecting Your Tree

Once you have your sapling, head to a tree patch. There are five main tree patches in OSRS:

Location	Teleport Method	Notes
Lumbridge	Lumbridge Teleport	West of Lumbridge Castle, near the gardener.
Varrock	Varrock Teleport	South-east of Varrock Palace.
Falador	Falador Teleport	In Falador Park.
Taverley	Falador Teleport or House Teleport	North of Falador, near Taverley.
Tree Gnome Stronghold	Spirit Tree or Gnome Glider	Requires partial completion of The Grand Tree.

At each patch:

1. Rake the patch to remove weeds.
2. Apply supercompost to reduce disease risk.
3. Plant the oak sapling using a spade.
4. Pay the gardener 1 basket of tomatoes to ensure the tree grows without disease.

Checking and Harvesting

After about 200 minutes, return to check the tree’s health for 467.5 Farming XP. You can then:

• Chop the Tree: Requires level 15 Woodcutting, yields oak logs.
• Dig Up the Roots: Use a spade to obtain oak roots, useful for Herblore or Construction.

Clear the patch and repeat the process for continuous farming.

Optimizing Your Oak Tree Runs

To maximize efficiency, plan your tree runs strategically. Here are some tips to streamline the process.

Teleportation and Route Planning

Minimize travel time by using teleports. A suggested route for low-level players:

1. Start at Lumbridge (Lumbridge Teleport).
2. Teleport to Varrock (Varrock Teleport).
3. Teleport to Falador (Falador Teleport), visit Falador and Taverley patches.
4. Use a Spirit Tree or Gnome Glider to reach the Tree Gnome Stronghold (if accessible).

For faster runs, consider:

• Scrolls of Redirection: Redirect house teleports to other portals (e.g., Taverley).
• Fairy Rings: Unlock with Fairytale II for quicker access to certain patches.
• Runelite Plugins: Use the Farming Tracker to monitor growth timers.

Managing Costs

Oak tree farming is budget-friendly, but costs can add up. To save money:

• Grow Your Own Tomatoes: Plant tomato seeds in allotment patches for cheap protection payments.
• Use Compost Bins: Create your own supercompost using items like pineapples.
• Buy in Bulk: Purchase acorns and baskets of tomatoes when prices are low on the Grand Exchange.

Boosting Experience

To get more XP per run:

• Farmer’s Outfit: Obtain from Tithe Farm for a 2.5% XP boost.
• Bottomless Compost Bucket: Doubles compost applied, saving inventory space.
• Farming Guild Contracts: Complete contracts at the Farming Guild for extra XP and rewards.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Farming oak trees is simple, but new players often make errors that slow progress. Here’s what to watch out for.

Skipping Protection Payments

Not paying the gardener increases the risk of disease, which can delay growth or kill the tree. Always pay 1 basket of tomatoes per tree to guarantee success.

Ignoring Compost

Using supercompost reduces disease risk and improves yield. Skipping it can lead to lower XP and wasted time.

Poor Inventory Management

Bring only essential items to save inventory space. For example, carry noted baskets of tomatoes to pay gardeners without needing multiple trips to the bank.

Not Timing Runs

Oak trees grow in about 3 hours and 20 minutes. Use a timer (or Runelite’s Farming Tracker) to check trees as soon as they’re ready, allowing more runs per day.

Advanced Tips for Oak Tree Farming

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, these advanced strategies can take your oak tree farming to the next level.

Combining with Other Farming Runs

Integrate oak tree runs with herb or allotment runs for maximum efficiency. For example, plant herbs at patches near tree locations (e.g., Falador or Farming Guild) to double up on XP.

Ironman Considerations

Ironmen can gather acorns through Forestry events or bird’s nests from Woodcutting. Growing tomatoes in allotments ensures a steady supply of protection payments.

Scaling to Higher Trees

Once you reach level 30 Farming, consider switching to willow trees for better XP. Use oak runs to build a foundation before tackling more expensive trees like maples or yews.

Leveraging Forestry Events

Participate in Forestry events while Woodcutting to gather acorns and other tree seeds. These events also provide Forestry kits, which can yield tree leaves for additional rewards.

Farming oak trees in OSRS is an excellent way to train Farming while gathering resources for other skills. With a low level requirement, fast growth cycle, and affordable costs, it’s perfect for players at any stage. By following this guide, optimizing your runs, and avoiding common pitfalls, you’ll be well on your way to Farming success. Happy planting!