OSRS Farming Guide 1-99 Fastest and Most Efficient Methods

OSRS Farming Guide 1-99 Fastest and Most Efficient Methods

Farming in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is a unique skill that allows players to plant seeds, nurture crops, and harvest valuable resources like herbs, fruits, and trees. Whether you’re aiming for level 99 for the skill cape, profit, or Ironman self-sufficiency, this comprehensive OSRS Farming Guide 1-99 will walk you through the fastest, most efficient, and budget-friendly methods to max out your Farming skill. From early questing to high-level tree runs and profitable herb farming, we’ve got you covered with practical tips to optimize your runs.

Farming is often seen as a passive yet rewarding skill. It’s not only a path to a prestigious 99 but also a goldmine for players who master it. Here’s why you should invest time in Farming:

  • Profit Potential: Herb runs can net hundreds of thousands of gold per run, especially with high-level seeds like Ranarr or Toadflax.
  • Ironman Utility: Growing your own herbs and resources is crucial for Herblore and self-sustainability.
  • Passive Training: Unlike active skills like Mining, Farming allows you to plant, wait, and harvest, freeing up time for other activities.
  • Skill Synergy: Harvested crops support Herblore, Cooking, and even Woodcutting through tree farming.

Getting Started with Farming Basics

Complete 199 Farming Guide for OSRS

Essential Farming Tools

Before diving into training, gather these must-have tools to make your Farming runs smooth and efficient:

  • Rake: Clears weeds from patches.
  • Spade: Harvests crops and removes dead plants.
  • Seed Dibber: Plants seeds in patches.
  • Watering Can: Waters allotment and flower patches (refillable).
  • Magic Secateurs: Boosts crop yield by 10% (unlocked via Fairytale I – Growing Pains).
  • Compost (Ultracompost Preferred): Reduces disease chance and increases yield.

Understanding Growth Cycles

Farming operates on real-time growth cycles, meaning crops grow even when you’re offline. Different crops have unique growth times:

Crop Type Growth Time Example
Allotments 40-70 minutes Potatoes, Watermelons
Herbs 80 minutes Ranarr, Toadflax
Trees 5-16 hours Oak, Magic
Fruit Trees 16 hours Apple, Palm

Plan your runs around these cycles to maximize efficiency. For example, herbs can be checked every 80 minutes, while trees are a once-or-twice-daily task.

Levels 1-35: Building a Strong Foundation

Questing for Early Levels

The fastest way to kickstart Farming is through quests that reward experience. Completing these can boost you to level 35 with minimal effort:

Completing all these quests grants around 32,500 XP, taking you to level 35 and skipping the slow early grind.

Low-Level Allotment Farming

If questing isn’t your style, start with allotment patches. At level 1, plant potatoes, progressing to watermelons by level 47. Use supercompost to reduce disease risk and plant marigolds in flower patches to protect allotments. Key patches include Catherby, Ardougne, and Falador.

Bagged Plants for Active Training

For active training, plant bagged plants in your Player-Owned House (POH). This method is costly but doesn’t rely on growth cycles. Use bagged plants (e.g., bagged nice trees) in Rimmington, un-noting them via Phials. Spam the “1” key to plant and remove quickly, gaining up to 20,000 XP per hour.

Levels 35-99: Mastering Tree and Herb Runs

Tree Runs: The Fastest Path to 99

Tree runs are the backbone of Farming training from level 15 to 99. They offer massive XP drops with minimal active time, as trees take hours to grow. Here’s a breakdown of the best trees to plant:

Level Tree XP (Plant + Check) Growth Time Cost (Sapling + Protection)
15 Oak 481.3 5 hours ~2,000 GP
30 Willow 1,481.5 7 hours ~3,000 GP
45 Maple 3,448.4 8 hours ~15,000 GP
60 Yew 7,069 10 hours ~50,000 GP
75 Magic 13,768.3 12 hours ~200,000 GP

Pro Tip: Always use ultracompost and pay farmers to protect trees (e.g., 25 coconuts for Magic trees). This minimizes disease risk and saves time. Expect to spend 120-150M GP for 99 using Magic trees, taking around 60-70 days with two runs daily.

Fruit Tree Runs for Extra XP

Fruit trees complement regular tree runs and unlock at level 27 (apple trees). They take 16 hours to grow, making them a once-daily task. Recommended progression:

  • Level 27: Apple (1,199.5 XP)
  • Level 33: Banana (1,750.5 XP)
  • Level 39: Orange (2,467 XP)
  • Level 51: Pineapple (4,605.7 XP)
  • Level 57: Papaya (6,146.4 XP)
  • Level 68: Palm (10,150.1 XP)

Use pineapples (cheap from charter ships) to pay farmers for papaya and palm trees. Patches are in Gnome Stronghold, Catherby, Brimhaven, Lletya, and Gnome Village.

Herb Runs: Profit and XP

Herb runs are both profitable and XP-efficient, starting at level 9 (Guam). They take 80 minutes to grow, allowing multiple runs daily. Focus on high-profit herbs like:

  • Ranarr (Level 32): ~300,000 GP profit per run at 90+ Farming.
  • Toadflax (Level 38): High demand for Saradomin Brews.
  • Kwuarm (Level 56): Used in Super Strength potions.

Unlock all nine herb patches (e.g., Trollheim via My Arm’s Big Adventure, Weiss via Making Friends with My Arm). Use Magic Secateurs, ultracompost, and diary boosts (Kandarin Hard, Kourend Hard) for maximum yield. A single run with six patches can yield 5,000-7,000 XP and 100,000-400,000 GP.

Optimizing Your Farming Runs

Teleportation for Efficiency

Travel time can eat into your profits and XP. Unlock these teleports for faster runs:

Farming Guild and Contracts

At level 45 Farming and 60% Hosidius favor, unlock the Farming Guild. It offers tree, herb, and allotment patches, plus contracts for bonus XP and seeds. Prioritize contracts for herbs or trees you’re already growing to stack rewards efficiently.

Tithe Farm for Active Players

Unlocked at level 34 in Hosidius, Tithe Farm is an active minigame offering up to 100,000 XP per hour with Logavano seeds (level 74). Rewards include the farmer’s outfit (+2.5% XP) and seed box. It’s intense but great for breaking up passive runs.

Tips for Ironman and Budget Players

Ironman Seed Sources

Ironmen face seed scarcity early on. Farm seeds via:

  • Master Farmers: Pickpocket at 38 Thieving for herb seeds.
  • Wintertodt: Supply crates yield seeds based on Farming level.
  • Slayer: Monsters like Nechryaels drop high-level seeds.

Budget-Friendly Training

If Magic trees are too expensive, stick to:

  • Papaya Trees: Cheap protection (pineapples) and decent XP.
  • Teak/Mahogany: Hardwood trees on Fossil Island (post-Bone Voyage) cost less and yield 22,000-50,000 XP every 2.5 days.
  • Calquat Trees: Level 72, cheap, and 12,096 XP per run.

Expect 99 to take 150-200 days with budget methods, costing around 10-20M GP.

With this OSRS Farming Guide 1-99, you’re equipped to tackle the skill efficiently, whether you’re chasing XP, profit, or Ironman goals. Start with quests, prioritize tree and herb runs, and optimize with teleports and guild contracts. Happy farming, and may your patches always be disease-free!