Farming is one of the most rewarding skills in Old School RuneScape (OSRS), offering both experience and profit opportunities. Whether you’re growing herbs, fruit trees, or hardwood trees, understanding the mechanics of the Farming skill is essential for optimizing your gameplay.
One of the first steps in tree farming is nurturing seedlings into saplings before planting them in tree patches. But how long does it actually take for a seedling to grow in OSRS? The short answer: 5 minutes. However, understanding the complete process—from obtaining a seedling to maximizing tree growth efficiency—can make a significant difference in your Farming experience.
This guide will provide a detailed breakdown of the seedling growth process, the different types of trees, and pro tips to boost your Farming XP. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced player looking to level up quickly, this guide will help you master the art of tree farming in OSRS.
Seedling Growth in OSRS
What Is a Seedling in OSRS?
A seedling is the first stage of a tree’s life in OSRS before it becomes a sapling. Unlike other crops that can be directly planted in patches, trees require an extra step—they must first be placed in a plant pot, watered, and allowed to grow into a sapling before they can be planted in a tree patch.
How to Obtain a Seedling
To get a seedling, you’ll need the following:
- A tree seed (e.g., Oak, Willow, Magic, etc.).
- A plant pot (which can be purchased from a Farming shop or obtained through digging).
- A gardening trowel (to fill the plant pot with soil).
- A watering can (to water the seedling).
Once you have these items:
- Fill the plant pot with soil – Use your gardening trowel on an empty plant pot while standing near any Farming patch.
- Use the tree seed on the filled plant pot – This will create a seedling.
- Water the seedling – Use a watering can on the seedling to turn it into a watered seedling.
- Wait five minutes – After exactly five minutes, the watered seedling will automatically transform into a sapling.
- Plant the sapling in a tree patch – You can now take your sapling and plant it in a tree patch to continue its growth.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep multiple plant pots, watering cans, and seeds in your bank so you can prepare several seedlings at once for efficient tree farming runs.
Seedling Growth Times for Different Trees
While all seedlings grow into saplings in exactly five minutes, the full growth time of trees varies significantly depending on the type of tree. Here’s a complete breakdown:
Normal Trees
| Tree Type | Sapling Growth Time | Full Growth Time | XP Gained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak | 5 minutes | 160 minutes (2 hours 40 mins) | 467.3 XP |
| Willow | 5 minutes | 280 minutes (4 hours 40 mins) | 1,456.3 XP |
| Maple | 5 minutes | 320 minutes (5 hours 20 mins) | 3,403.4 XP |
| Yew | 5 minutes | 640 minutes (10 hours 40 mins) | 7,070.7 XP |
| Magic | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 13,768.3 XP |
Fruit Trees
| Tree Type | Sapling Growth Time | Full Growth Time | XP Gained |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 1,272 XP |
| Banana | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 1,750.5 XP |
| Orange | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 2,593.7 XP |
| Curry | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 2,905.5 XP |
| Pineapple | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 4,606.9 XP |
| Papaya | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 6,151.5 XP |
| Palm | 5 minutes | 960 minutes (16 hours) | 10,150.1 XP |
While the seedling stage remains constant at five minutes, understanding the full growth time and XP gains can help you plan your tree runs effectively.
How to Speed Up Tree Farming in OSRS
Growing trees is one of the fastest ways to gain Farming XP, but there are several strategies you can use to make the process even more efficient.
1. Use Ultracompost
Applying ultracompost to your tree patches significantly reduces the chance of disease and increases crop yield for other types of farming. While tree patches don’t yield crops, using ultracompost ensures that you won’t lose time due to a diseased tree.
2. Pay Farmers to Protect Your Trees
Most trees (except special trees like Crystal trees) require a payment to the nearby Farming NPCs to ensure they grow without disease. This saves time and guarantees you won’t have to regrow them.
| Tree Type | Protection Cost |
|---|---|
| Oak | 1 Basket of Tomatoes |
| Willow | 1 Basket of Apples |
| Maple | 1 Basket of Oranges |
| Yew | 10 Cactus Spines |
| Magic | 25 Coconuts |
| Apple | 9 Sweetcorn |
| Banana | 4 Baskets of Apples |
| Orange | 3 Baskets of Strawberries |
💡 Pro Tip: Keep protection payments in your bank for quick withdrawals before tree runs.
3. Use the Farming Guild
The Farming Guild provides access to tree patches, contracts, and valuable Farming-related bonuses. If you have 85 Farming, you can plant Redwood Trees, which take 106 hours to grow but provide a massive XP boost.
4. Plan Tree Runs Efficiently
Tree farming is most effective when done in runs—a sequence of checking, planting, and paying for protection across multiple locations. A standard tree run includes:
- Normal trees: Varrock, Falador, Taverley, Lumbridge, and Gnome Stronghold
- Fruit trees: Gnome Stronghold, Catherby, Brimhaven, Tree Gnome Village, and Lletya
- Hardwood trees: Fossil Island
By setting up tree runs, you can efficiently farm XP while doing other activities like Slayer or Bossing in between.
Conclusion
In Old School RuneScape, a seedling takes five minutes to grow into a sapling, but the full growth time of trees varies from a few hours to 16 hours. Whether you’re a casual player looking for passive XP or a dedicated farmer optimizing for maximum gains, knowing how to efficiently manage tree runs, use ultracompost, and pay for tree protection will save you time and money.
✅ Key Takeaways:
- Seedlings take exactly 5 minutes to turn into saplings.
- Normal trees and fruit trees have different growth times, ranging from 2 hours 40 mins (Oak) to 16 hours (Magic, Fruit trees).
- Use ultracompost and pay farmers to prevent tree loss.
- Plan efficient tree runs to maximize Farming XP.