Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Farmland in Minecraft: How to Till and Hydrate Soil
Farmland is the soil crops grow in. Use a hoe on dirt, a grass block or a dirt path to till it. Water within 4 blocks hydrates it, turning it darker and making crops grow faster. It turns back into dirt if you or a mob jumps on it, if a solid block is placed on it, or if it stays dry with nothing planted.
How do you make farmland?
Use any hoe on dirt, a grass block or a dirt path. Coarse dirt and rooted dirt first turn into normal dirt, then into farmland with a second use. Podzol and mycelium cannot be tilled; turn them into a dirt path with a shovel first. On Java, farmland drops dirt even with Silk Touch. Hoe enchantments: tool enchantments.
How does hydration work?
A water block within 4 blocks horizontally, on the same level or one above, keeps farmland hydrated; rain also wets it. Hydrated farmland is darker and crops grow faster on it. One water block in the middle of a 9 by 9 square hydrates the whole square. Farms: crop farming.
What grows on farmland?
- Wheat, carrots, potatoes and beetroots.
- Melon and pumpkin stems; see pumpkins and melons.
- Torchflower seeds and pitcher pods from sniffers.
- Saplings and flowers can be placed on it too.
How do you stop trampling?
Jumping or landing on farmland turns it to dirt; mobs do it too. Fence your farm so mobs stay out, walk instead of jumping, and leave paths between rows. Slow Falling stops trampling when you land; see Slow Falling.
Frequently asked questions
How far does water hydrate farmland?
4 blocks horizontally.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.