Minecraft sugar cane makes everything from paper to pastries

Sugar cane is a valuable resource in Minecraft, but it requires a special environment and the right technique to grow it efficiently.

There aren’t many realistic things in Minecraft, but growing sugar cane is possibly one of them. While other plants require just some dirt and nearby water to grow, sugar cane is much more picky. All of the required effort is still worth it, as sugar cane grants access to many important crafting items. Here’s how to grow sugar cane and what to use it for in Minecraft.

How to grow sugar cane in Minecraft

While wheat only requires a bit of water and some tilled grass in order to grow, sugar cane takes a bit more work. To grow sugar cane, place a single block of it on dirt or sand. Then add water directly to the adjacent squares. If both conditions are met, the sugar cane should grow a block higher every 20 minutes or so. Minecraft Bedrock players can apply bone meal to make the sugar cane grow instantly.

What is sugar cane used to craft?

Sugar cane can be crafted directly into paper and sugar. Paper is made by filling a horizontal row of a crafting bench with sugar cane. Sugar requires just one space. Those items can then be crafted into other materials, some of which are very important.

Paper is used to create banners and maps. Players can also expand existing maps by applying them with an anvil. Most importantly, three pages can be combined with a piece of leather to create a book. Books are necessary for creating enchantment tables to create top-tier swords, picks, and armor.

Sugar is not quite as useful as paper, but it’s still used for some valuable items. Pumpkin pie and cake both require sugar in their respective recipes. Sugar cane is also used to create fermented spider eyes, which are used in several Minecraft potions.

What’s the easiest way to farm sugar cane?

The most efficient way to make a simple sugar cane farm is to carve out alternating rows of water and sand. A natural beach is the perfect place for this. Remember that the sugar cane only needs to have water on one side of it, so you can make your growing lines two blocks wide for greater efficiency. 

If you need a lot of sugar cane very quickly, the best thing to do is create an automated sugar cane farm. By manipulating redstone, observers, and pistons, it’s possible to create a contraption that will automatically grow and harvest sugar cane.