How to farm cactus in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition

Minecraft is a game that doesn't lack crops to farm, and cactus is one of the easier plants to grow.

Aside from causing damage and being used to keep away unwanted visitors, cactus can also be used in Minecraft to create green dye. Smelting cacti can also yield quite a bit of experience for players, although Minecraft: Bedrock Edition players receive less. For players who want to farm cacti in large numbers, there are many designs to accomplish this.

These designs range from simple manual creations to fully-automated farming machines. For newer players, it may be best to create a simple and convenient cactus farm first.

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Minecraft: Creating a simple cactus farm

A basic manual cactus farm which keeps players from being damaged (Image via Mojang)

One of the simplest ways to grow cacti in Minecraft is to place the plants in rows on sand. Separate the cactus blocks one block apart, giving them room to grow and harvest. However, this method can be somewhat dangerous, as the farm design can lead to a player being pricked by the plants. In reality, it is better to stagger the cacti diagonally, allowing for room to harvest without taking damage.

Players who want easier collection of their cacti can use water canals. These canals can carry broken cactus blocks to a location where they can easily be picked up. If Minecraft players wish to go a step further, they can also place a hopper and chest underneath the canal. Doing so should allow the cactus blocks to funnel into a chest via the water as a vector.

Minecraft players who wish for an automated experience can take their existing cactus farm and place a thin block above and around the cacti. Excellent block choices include fencing, iron bars, and glass panes. By having room to grow upward, but with blocks in a perimeter around the new vertical blocks, the blocks will break. By using blocks with a thin hitbox like fencing, bars, etc., the cacti blocks will likely fall into the water where they can be collected automatically via a hopper.

At the end of the day, the farm choice comes down to player preference, but Minecraft players have no shortage of farm designs. Some players have created incredibly elaborate tower-like cactus farms to meet their needs, but those aren't always necessary. If newer Minecraft players would simply like a few cacti blocks, they may want to hold off on having huge automated farms.