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.
Pumpkins and Melons in Minecraft: Farming and Uses
Pumpkins and melons grow from a stem that, once grown, places the fruit on a free dirt or grass block next to it, so leave space beside each stem. A melon drops 3-7 slices; shears carve a pumpkin into a carved pumpkin, used for golems, jack o'lanterns and hiding from endermen. Both need light level 9 or more to grow.
How do you farm pumpkins and melons?
- Plant seeds on farmland; each stem needs one free dirt, grass or farmland block beside it for the fruit.
- Stems take about 10-30 minutes to finish and need light level 9+; bone meal grows the stem but does not make fruit instantly.
- Harvest the fruit, not the stem, and it grows again.
- Observers next to the fruit spot plus pistons make an automatic farm; see crop farming.
What are they used for?
| Item | Use |
|---|---|
| Carved pumpkin | Shear a placed pumpkin; build iron and snow golems; wear it so endermen ignore your gaze |
| Jack o'lantern | Carved pumpkin + torch: a light-15 block |
| Pumpkin pie | Pumpkin + sugar + egg: 8 hunger |
| Melon slice | 2 hunger; 9 slices make a melon block |
| Glistering melon slice | Melon slice + 8 gold nuggets, for Instant Health potions |
Where do you find them?
Pumpkin patches grow on grass in most Overworld biomes and in pillager outpost tents; melons grow naturally only in jungles, plus some villages, woodland mansions and abandoned camps. Wandering traders sell pumpkins. See jungles.
Can you sell them?
Yes: farmer villagers buy pumpkins and melons for emeralds, which makes a pumpkin farm an easy emerald source. Shearing a pumpkin also gives 4 seeds on Java (1 on Bedrock).
Can you farm on ArtemisPvP?
Frequently asked questions
Why is my pumpkin stem not growing pumpkins?
It needs a free dirt, grass or farmland block next to it, and light level 9 or more.
How do you carve a pumpkin?
Use shears on a placed pumpkin.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.