Farming

(This is a Members Runescape skill)


Thanks go to xxskullxx (aka numd), michelelee, & rwelch for helping with this guide

Farming is a skill that allows you to grow your own vegetables, herbs, bushes, trees, and a few other things. Raising your Farming Skill can also help to boost some of your other skills. For example, you can grow hops to use at breweries to increase your Cooking and herbs to increase your Herblore.

Farming Tools
Tool Leprechaun
Gathering Seeds
Patch Locations
Compost
Seeds

Plants
Preparing, Planting, & Harvesting/Picking
Disease

Trees
Preparing & Planting
Disease

Stratagy
Farming Stratagy

Farming Tools

You will need some tools for Farming. Tools are dropped by Farmers (level 7). Most of the tools can also be bought from Farming Stores Located:

• Falador (south of the southern entrance, near the farm)
• Catherby (just east of the Patches, north east of the bank
• Ardougne (south and a bit east of the Windmill)
• Port Phasmatys (west of the Ectofuntus)

Rake

Used to remove weeds from patches

Gardening Trowel

Used to fill plant pots with soil from patches and planting tree seeds

Secateurs

Used to remove diseased branches from bushes and trees

Magic Secateurs *

Used to remove diseased branches from bushes and trees. When equiped they also increase the amount harvested for vegetables, herbs, and hops by 10%. You must complete the A Fairy Tale Part I Quest to get this item.

Seed Dibber

Used to plant seeds

Watering Can (8)

Used to water plants, bushes, and trees

Gardening Boots *

No real use yet, decoration only

* Not sold in Farming Shops

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Tool Leprechaun

Tool Leprechauns are located near farming patches. They will store you tools for you so you do not have to carry them all of the time while Farming. Below is a list of what they will store and how many of each.

• Rake (1)
• Seed Dibber (1)
• Spade (1)
• Secateurs (1)
• Magic Secateurs (1)
• Watering Can (1)
• Gardening Trowel (1)
• Empty Buckets (up to 31)
• Compost (up to 255)
• Supercompost (up to 255)

To store items, talk to the Tool Leprechaun or right click and click exchange. To get items back is the same. The items are stored in a magic shed, if you store something with one Tool Leprechaun you can get it back from any Tool Leprechaun. Items to be stored with the Tool Leprechauns must be single items, bank notes do not work.

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Gathering Seeds

Plant

There are a few different ways to get Plant Seeds:

• Buy them:
  • From Olivia in Draynor Market. She sells some of the more common, lower level seeds.
  • From other players
• Pickpocket them from Master Farmers. Level 38 Thieving is required, 43 experience gain each time you are successful. They are located:
  • 2 in Draynor Market
• Steal them from Seed Stalls. Level 27 Thieving is required, 10 experience gain each time you are successful.
  • Draynor Village - 2 Master Farmers in the Market
  • Varrock - 1 Master Farmer near the Wheat field south of the city
  • Ardougne - 1 Master Farmer south of the Windmill, north of the city
• Kill enemies for them
• Do favors for the Wise Old Man in Draynor Village:
  • He will ask you for favors such as delivering a message to someone or gathering items.
• You can find certain vegetable seeds while picking vegetables in a field, fields already growing, not the patches you plant. Cabbage Seeds can be found in cabbage fields, Potato Seeds can be found in potato fields, etc...

Tree

Tree seeds can be found while cutting trees. Every once in a while a Bird Nest will fall out of the tree you are cutting, kind of like getting a gem while mining. You will get a message saying "A bird's nest falls out of the tree.". The Bird Nest will appear on the ground near your character. Pick up the nest and Search it. There could be various things inside such as a Gold Ring, Sapphire Ring, Emerald Ring, Ruby Ring, or a tree seeds. Any tree can drop any kind of tree seed. For example, an Oak Tree can drop an Apple Tree Seed.

Here are a few pictures of Bird Nests:
Bird Nest with Acorn
Bird Nest with Emerald Ring
Empty Bird Nest

NOTE: Empty Bird Nests can be can be crushed with a pestle and mortar and used as a second ingredient when making potions. (See Herblore)

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Patch Locations

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Compost

Using compost with the patches before planting helps reduce the risk of disease and also increases the amount you harvest. There are a few different kinds of compost, Normal and Super. Both are made the same way, only the ingredients are different. You can show an item to the local gardener (NPC) near the Compost Bin to find out if it can be used to make compost and which kind it will make. If the item can not be used for compost you will get a message saying that nothing interesting happens. To make compost (either kind), you must use organic items with a Compost Bin. Compost Bins are located near Allotments. It takes 15 items to fill the Compost Bin.

If you try to add a Super Compost item to Normal Compost you will get a message asking if you want to use the item for Normal Compost or save it to make Super Compost. It will not change Normal into Super.

If you try to a Normal Compost item to Super Compost, you will get a message asking if you want to change the Compost to Normal or stay with Super. If you stay with Super, the item will not be used.

Once the bin is full, click on it to close the lid. You will not be able to open the lid again until it has finished rotting. It takes about an hour to make compost (either kind). You do not gain experience for making either kind of compost, but you do get experience for filling buckets when it is done. 4.5 experience for Normal and 8.5 experience for Super. You get 15 buckets full from each batch. You gain 18 exp for adding normal Compost to a patch and 26 for adding Super Compost to a patch.
Normal Compost
Super Compost

Things that can be used to make Normal Compost are:

Things that can be used to make Super Compost are:

You can also make Rotten Tomatoes in the Compost Bin. Fill the bin with 15 Tomatoes. Close the bin and wait. In about an hour it will be filled with 15 Rotten Tomatoes. You gain 4.5 experience for taking a Rotten Tomato out of the bin.

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Plants

Preparing, Planting, & Harvesting/Picking

Items needed:

Rake
Compost (normal shown)
Seed Dibber
Seeds (Sweetcorn Seeds shown)
Watering Can

To get the patch ready, use a Rake with it. You gain 4 exp for each Weed you take out of the patch. Next use Compost. Then, use the seed with the patch. Must have a Seed Dibber in your inventory to plant a plant seed. You gain experience for planting the seeds as well as when you harvest or pick at the end of the growing time.

• Allotments require 3 seeds
• Flower Patches are planted one seed at a time
• Hops Patches require 4 seeds
• Herb Patches are planted one seed at a time
• Bush Patches are planted one seed at a time

Small plants will appear in the patch. Use the Watering Can with them. Once watered, the Patches (except herbs and bushes) will look wet with puddles of water. Herb and Bush Patches do not need to be watered regularly, but doing so can help to reduce the risk of disease. Plants in Allotment, Flower, and Hops Patches need to be watered more then once while they are growing. Water when the puddles disappear.

Grow times are actual minutes. If you log out and log back in after the time is up, plants will be full grown and ready to harvest unless they get diseased and die.

Some patches have local gardeners wondering around nearby. You can talk to them about watching over your crops for you. They will ask for things in exchange for their services. Having them watch over your crops guarnatees that your plants will survive disease-free and produce crops. If you choose to use the local gardeners' services, there is no need to water. Compost is still recommended for larger harvests. The local gardeners also offer farming advice if asked.

Once plants are full grown they can be harvested or picked. A Spade is needed to harvest most plants. For bushes, you will need to check the health of the plant before you can pick the crop. Bushes will also keep producing crops until they are dug up. If you choose to dig up the plant you will be asked to confirm. No experience is gained for clearing/digging up a crop.

After they are harvested Potatoes, Onions, and Cabbage can be stored in Sacks. Each Sack can hold up to ten of one item, they can not be mixed together in the same Sack.
Empty Sack
Sack with 10 Cabbages

Tomatoes, Apples, Strawberries, Bananas, and Oranges can be stored in Baskets. Each Basket can hold up to 5 of one item, they can not be mixed together in the same Basket.
Empty Basket
Baset with 5 Tomatoes

Sacks and Baskets can be bought in Farming Shops or you can craft them. (See Crafting - Weaving)

Storing harvested items in Sacks and Baskets not only saves space, but this is how some local gardeners will ask for payment for watching over some crops.

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Disease

Sometimes your plants will get diseased. There are things you can do to help prevent disease:

• Adding compost
• Planting certain flowers near certain plants
  • Marigolds protects Onions, Tomatoes, and Potatoes
  • Rosemary protects Cabbage
  • Nasturtium protects Watermelons
  • Scarecrows protects Sweetcorn

This does not guarantee a healthy crop, but it reduces the risk of disease.

A diseased plant will look brown and show as diseased when you hover your mouse over them. If your plants get diseased you can cure them with Plant Cure (sold in Farming Shops) or you can clear the crop by using a spade with them. If you decide to dig up a diseased crop you will be asked to confirm to clear them or leave then as they are. Plants can become diseased more then once during their growing cycle.

If diseased plants are not treated they will turn to dead plants. It get rid of dead plants use a spade with them. No experience is gained for clearing diseased or dead crops.

If a bush get diseased use Secateurs to remove the diseased parts. You could also use a spade with it and clear the crop to plant a new bush. You will be asked to confirm if you decide to clear the crop.

   Scarecrows require level 23 Farming to make, you gain 25 experience each.

Items needed:

Empty Sack
Bronze Spear
Watermelon

1. Use an Empty Sack with a Hay Bale to make a Hay Sack.
   
2. Use the Hay Sack with a Bronze Spear. (Only Bronze Spears can be used for this.)
   
3. Use the Hay Sack (now with a spear through it) with a Watermelon to finish.
   
4. Use the Scarecrow with an empty Flower Patch.

To remove a Scarecrow from a Flower Patch, use a spade with it.

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Trees

Preparing & Planting

Items needed:

Plantpot Empty or Full of soil
Gardening Trowel
Seeds (Acorn/Oak shown)
Rake
Compost (normal shown)
Watering Can

You can buy Plant Pots in Farming Shops or craft them yourself (level 19 Crafting required). If your plant pot is empty, take it along with a Gardening Trowel to a Patch, any kind of Patch will do. Use the Plant Pot with the patch to fill it with soil. You must have a Gardening Trowel in your inventory to plant a tree seed into a Plantpot. Use the tree seed with the Plant Pot and then water it. It will turn into a seedling. After a while it will grow into a sapling.
Sapling (Oak shown)

Next, find a Tree or Fruit Tree Patch, depending on which kind the sapling is. Use the Rake with the patch to remove any weeds. Add compost to the patch. Then use the sapling with the patch and add water.

Some patches have local gardeners wondering around nearby. You can talk to them about watching over your trees for you. They will ask for things in exchange for their services. Having them watch over your crops guarnatees that your trees will survive disease-free to adulthood. If you choose to use the local gardeners' services, there is no need to water. Compost is still recommended for larger harvests. The local gardeners also offer farming advice if asked.

NOTE: For Willow Trees, during the last stage of growth before adulthood, you can use Secateurs with it to cut Willow Branches. You gain 12 Farming experience each for cutting Willow Branches. These branches can be woven into baskets. (See Crafting - Weaving)

Once the tree is full grown, you can pick the fruit or cut it depending on which kind of tree it is. The tree will continue producing fruit or respawning for logs until you dig it up.

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Disease

Trees can become diseased. If your tree gets diseased, use Secateurs with it to cut away the diseased parts. You can also use a Spade with the tree to dig it up or clear the crop to plant a new sapling.

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Seeds

The Seeds below are shown in groups of 1 and 5

Special seeds are grown in their own specific patches. (See Patch Locations above.)

Seeds	Required level	Time (minutes)	Type	Exp. gained for planting	Exp. gained for harvest/pick (each one)	Exp. gained for checking health	Cost for Gardener
Potato	1	35	Allotment	8	9	-	2 buckets of Compost
Marigold	2	17.5	Flower	8.5	47	-	-
Barley	3	35	Hops	8.5	9.5	-	3 buckets of Compost
Hammerstone Hops	4	35	Hops	9	10	-	1 bunch of Marigolds
Onion	5	35	Allotment	9.5	10.5	-	1 sack of Potatoes
Cabbage	7	35	Allotment	10	11.5	-	1 sack of Onions
Asgarnian Hops	8	45	Hops	10.5	12	-	1 sack of Onions
Guam	9	70	Herb	11	12.5	-	-
Redberry Bush	10	90	Bush	11.5	4.5	64	4 sacks of Cabbage
Rosemary	11	17.5	Flower	12	66.5	-	-
Tomato	12	35	Allotment	12.5	14	-	2 sacks of Cabbage
Jute	13	45	Hops	13	14.5	-	6 Barley Malt (use Barley with range)
Marrentil	14	70	Herb	13.5	15	-	-
Acorn (Oak Tree)	15	140	Tree	14	-	467.3	1 basket of Tomatoes
Yanillian Hops	16	55	Hops	14.5	16	-	1 basket of Tomatoes
Tarromin	19	70	Herb	16	18	-	-
Sweetcorn	20	35	Allotment	17	19	-	10 Jute Fibres
Krandorian Hops	21	65	Hops	17.5	19.5	-	3 sacks of Cabbage
Cadavaberry Bush	22	110	Bush	18	7	102.5	3 baskets of Tomatoes
Nasturtium	24	17.5	Flower	19.5	111	-	-
Woad	25	17.5	Flower	20.5	115.5	-	-
Limpwurt	26	17.5	Flower	21.5	120	-	-
Harralander	26	70	Herb	21.5	24	-	-
Apple Tree	27	880	Fruit Tree	22	8.5	1199.5	9 raw Sweetcorn
Wildblood Hops	28	75	Hops	23	26	-	1 Nasturtium
Gout Tuber * *	29	70	Herb	105	45	-	-
Willow Tree	30	220	Tree	25	-	1456.3	1 basket of Apples
Strawberry	31	35	Allotment	26	29	-	1 basket of Apples
Ranarr	32	70	Herb	27	30.5	-	-
Banana Tree	33	880	Fruit Tree	28	10.5	1750.5	4 baskets of Apples
Dwellberry Bush	36	130	Bush	31.5	12	177.5	3 baskets of Strawberries
Toadflax	38	70	Herb	34	38.5	-	-
Orange Tree	39	880	Fruit Tree	35.5	13.5	2470.2	3 baskets of Strawberries
Curry Tree	42	880	Fruit Tree	40	15	2906.9	5 baskets of Bananas
Irit	44	70	Herb	43	48.5	-	-
Maple Tree	45	300	Tree	45	-	3403.4	1 basket of Oranges
Watermelon	47	35	Allotment	48.5	54.5	-	10 Curry Leaves
Jangerberry Bush	48	150	Bush	50.5	19	284.5	6 Watermelons
Avantoe	50	70	Herb	54.5	61.5	-	-
Pineapple Tree	51	880	Fruit Tree	57	21.5	4605.7	10 Watermelons
Bittercap Mushroom	53	220	Special	61.5	57.7	-	-
Cactus	55	520	Special	66.5	25	374	-
Kwuarm	56	70	Herb	69	78	-	-
Papaya Tree	57	880	Fruit Tree	72	27	6146.4	10 Pineapples
Whiteberry Bush	59	150	Bush	78	29	437.5	8 Bittercap Mushrooms
Yew Tree	60	380	Tree	81	-	7069.9	10 Cactus Spines
Snapdragon	62	70	Herb	87.5	98.5	-	-
Belladonna * (Nightshade)	63	70	Special	91	512	-	-
Cadantine	67	70	Herb	106.5	120	-	-
Palm Tree	68	880	Fruit Tree	110.5	41.5	10150.1	15 Papaya
Poison Ivy Bush	70	150	Bush	120	45	674	15 Coconuts
Calquat Tree	72	1200	Special	129.5	48.5	12096	-
Lantadyme	73	70	Herb	134.5	151.5	-	-
Magic Tree	75	460	Tree	145.5	-	13768.3	25 Coconuts
Dwarf Weed	79	70	Herb	170.5	192	-	-
Spirit Tree	83	3680	Special	199.5	-	19301.8	-
Torstol	85	70	Herb	199.5	224.5	-	-
Seeds	Required level	Time (minutes)	Type	Exp. gained for planting	Exp. gained for harvest/pick (each one)	Exp. gained for checking health	Cost for Gardener

* When picking Belladonna, you must wear gloves. If you do not wear gloves you will loose 2 Hitpoints to poison for each attempt.
* * Must have completed Eadgar's Ruse. Gout Tubers can be found during the Tai Bwo Wannai Clean Up.

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