Tutorials/Wheat farming

Farming is an indev feature implemented on February 6th, 2010. Upon completion, it will allow players to create fields, plant seeds and harvest crops.

Farming Technique


You'll need to craft a hoe. Better materials allow for a more durable hoe. You can then use your hoe (right click) to prepare fields. Fields near water will become hydrated, turning from a dry colored patch to a dark moisturized patch. When you're turning grass tiles into fields, seeds may appear : collect them so you can plant them on your prepared fields. Crops will then grow and eventually be ready for harvesting. Note that you can plant a seed on a dehydrated tile and it will grow, although slower. Notch has stated that some patterns are more productive than others.

Wet Field Tiles
A hydrated filed (or "Wet Field") is the preferred land for farming. A wet field will yield a fully developed wheat crop in a little over a single day Cycle on a Normal or Woodland themed map.

For a 'Field Block' (the block of soil on which the hoe has been used to create a field) to turn from dry to wet, a few rules apply:


 * 1) The Field Block requires water at the same level or one level higher. Water at other heights will not count for hydrating a Field Block.
 * 2) The Field Block requires water up to four blocks away, including diagonals.
 * 3) Intervening materials, or lack thereof, between the water and the Field Block make no difference.

As an example, a nine by nine grid of field blocks, with the very central block being water, will all hydrate.

Field tile decay
A field tile will disappear :


 * If you or an animal walk on it too much.
 * If it stays dehydrated for too long.

Harvesting
You can harvest crops at any time by using the left-click action of any tool, and you will get from 0 to 3 seeds, depending on the the state of the crop. Waiting until there is a clearly yellow tip will produce an item of wheat, which can be crafted into bread.