OSRS Ironman farming guide

Why farming is the Ironman herb engine

Every prayer potion, super combat and saradomin brew starts as a herb. Slayer and bossing drop some, but herb runs are the only supply you control. Each run also gives seeds back through contracts and Hespori, so the loop keeps itself going.

Trees work the other way. They cost seeds and some payment, but they give most of your Farming XP for very little time.

• Where herbs come from

  Patches, Slayer drops and seed drops all feed the same bank.

• Where seeds come from

  Contracts, Slayer, birdhouses and Hespori.

Herb runs

Herbs grow in about 80 minutes. A full run visits every herb patch you have, plants a seed and applies compost. Herb patches cannot be protected by a gardener, so disease-free patches and good compost matter more here than anywhere else.

Ultracompost cuts the disease chance per stage by 90% and raises the minimum yield to six herbs. Magic secateurs from Fairytale I add 10% to the chance of extra herbs. Bring both on every run.

• Falador, Catherby, Ardougne and Port Phasmatys

  The four starting herb patches. Port Phasmatys needs Priest in Peril.

• Catherby with the Kandarin diary

  Medium, hard and elite add 5%, 10% and 15% to the chance of saving a harvest life here.

  Needs: Kandarin diary

• Hosidius

  The easy Kourend & Kebos diary makes it disease-free. The hard diary adds 5% yield here and at the Farming Guild.

  Needs: Kourend & Kebos diary

• Troll Stronghold

  Disease-free patch on the roof.

  Needs: My Arm's Big Adventure

• Weiss

  Disease-free. Build the Fire of Nourishment before first use.

  Needs: Making Friends with My Arm

• Harmony Island

  Disease-free, and only open after the elite Morytania diary.

  Needs: The Great Brain Robbery · Morytania elite

• Farming Guild

  Herb patch in the intermediate tier. Not disease-free, so always use ultracompost.

  Needs: 65 Farming

• Ortus Farm, Varlamore

  Becomes disease-free once you reach Champion rank in the Fortis Colosseum.

  Needs: Children of the Sun

• Fairytale I

  Gives the magic secateurs. Do it early.

Patches and what unlocks them

The table lists every herb, tree and fruit tree patch with its unlock. Tick off what you have and plan the next quest or diary around the patches it adds.

Tree and fruit tree runs

Normal trees and fruit trees give most of your Farming XP from the health check. Pay the gardener at each patch to protect the tree, so a run never ends with a dead magic tree. Most Ironmen run trees once or twice a day and fruit trees about every 16 hours.

Trees are planted as saplings, so you need seeds, plant pots and watering cans. Seeds come from bird nests, contracts and Slayer drops.

• Tree patches

  Lumbridge, Varrock, Falador, Taverley, Gnome Stronghold, the Farming Guild and Nemus Retreat in Varlamore.

• Fruit tree patches

  Gnome Stronghold, Catherby, Tree Gnome Village, Brimhaven, Lletya, Kastori and the Farming Guild at 85.

• Hardwood trees

  Teak at 35 and mahogany at 55, with camphor, ironwood and rosewood added by Sailing. Three patches sit on Fossil Island. Good for planks and XP.

  Needs: Bone Voyage

• Calquat

  Tai Bwo Wannai, the Summer Shore and Kastori.

  Needs: 72 Farming

• Crystal tree

  Prifddinas only. Immune to disease and gives crystal shards when checked.

  Needs: 74 Farming · Song of the Elves

• Celastrus

  Farming Guild advanced tier. The bark fletches into battlestaves at 40 Fletching, a big help for an Ironman making battlestaves.

  Needs: 85 Farming

• Redwood

  Farming Guild advanced tier only. Slow, but strong XP per check.

  Needs: 90 Farming

Farming contracts and Hespori

Guildmaster Jane in the Farming Guild gives contracts to grow a set crop there. Each one pays a seed pack, which can hold ranarr, snapdragon, celastrus, redwood and Hespori seeds. Easy contracts need 45 Farming, medium 65 and hard 85.

Keep slow crops planted but unchecked in the guild. When a contract asks for one, you can finish it straight away.

Hespori grows from its seed in a cave in the guild and needs 65 Farming. When grown, you fight it for its seeds. It gives 12,600 Farming XP, can drop anima and white lily seeds, and has a 1 in 35 chance of the bottomless compost bucket.

• Hespori

  A short fight that pays out seeds and XP.

  Needs: 65 Farming

Birdhouses and the Tithe Farm

Birdhouses on Fossil Island fill in about 50 minutes and give Hunter XP and bird nests. Seed nests hold tree and fruit tree seeds, which is why birdhouses are on most Ironman routines. Any cheap seed works as bait, since the type makes no difference to the reward.

The Tithe Farm in Hosidius needs 34 Farming. It is slow, but it is the best place to buy several Ironman essentials with points.

• Birdhouse runs

  Four houses on Fossil Island. Keep Crafting a level above Hunter to make the best tier.

  Needs: Bone Voyage

• Seed box

  Stores six types of seed in one slot and plants straight from the box. 250 Tithe Farm points.

• Herb sack

  250 Tithe Farm points, against 750 Slayer points. Needs 58 Herblore to buy.

• Farmer's outfit

  Up to 2.5% bonus Farming XP for the full set. 400 points for every piece.

• Gricoller's can

  A watering can with 1,000 charges instead of 8. 200 points.

Fitting runs into your day

Herbs every 80 minutes, birdhouses every 50, trees once or twice a day and fruit trees about every 16 hours. You do not need every run every time. Pick the ones that match how long you play.

Questions

How often should an Ironman do herb runs?

Herbs take about 80 minutes. Doing a run each time you log in, or between Slayer tasks, is plenty for most accounts.

Which herb patches are disease-free?

Troll Stronghold, Weiss, Harmony Island with the elite Morytania diary, Hosidius with the easy Kourend & Kebos diary, and Ortus Farm after Champion rank in the Fortis Colosseum.

Is ultracompost worth it on herbs?

Yes. It cuts the disease chance by 90% and raises the minimum yield to six herbs, so it nearly always pays for itself.

How do Ironmen get tree seeds?

Bird nests from birdhouses and woodcutting, farming contract seed packs, and Slayer drops. Hespori also drops seeds.

Should I get the herb sack from Slayer or the Tithe Farm?

The Tithe Farm costs 250 points against 750 Slayer points. If you have the time, the Tithe Farm saves points for other unlocks.