Minecraft: Here’s How Long It Takes for Cactus To Grow

So far in our Minecraft guides, we’ve covered wheat farming, pumpkin farming as well as potato farming, and today’s guide is dedicated to Cacti. Cacti have a variety of uses as they are the most important source of green dye. Cacti have some pretty specific conditions when it comes to farming them, so let’s start this guide with some general information and see how long it takes for a cactus to grow in Minecraft.

How to grow cacti in Minecraft?

Cacti naturally generate in desert biomes as well as Badlands. They do not require water and light to grow which makes them easier to farm than most other plants. They do, however, require sand to grow and some very specific conditions. Cactus will uproot itself if some other solid block, water, or lava occupies any of the 4 horizontally adjacent blocks. 

The same goes for the blocks above. If the block above planted cactus is solid, water, or lava it will again uproot itself and drop as a regular item. 

How can I make my cactus grow faster?

There isn’t any efficient way to make your cactus grow faster. Bonemeal, a natural fertilizer, will not work on cacti. 

In the past, players were able to exploit “zero-tick” glitches in order to farm certain crops as well as plants more efficiently. Since version 1.16, zero ticking was fixed and no longer functions. 

How long does it take for a cactus to grow full size?

If you start with a single block of cactus, 36 minutes will be needed on average for a cactus to grow to its full size. Cacti only grow up to three blocks, and like sugar cane, very rarely they will generate naturally even higher. 

Does cactus grow faster on red sand Minecraft?

The type of sand in Minecraft has no effect on cactus growth. The growth of cacti depends on luck first and foremost. Cactus needs 16 ticks to grow, and on average, that takes 18 minutes. There are instances, though, where your cactus will grow instantly after planting, and instances where you will have to wait even longer for it to grow. 

To sum everything up, cactus is not difficult to farm, only it can be a bit tedious due to the long average time it needs to grow. You need to place cacti on the sand and keep 4 horizontally adjacent blocks empty of water, and lava and solid blocks or cacti will uproot themselves. Cactus likewise require neither water nor light in order to grow. 

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