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Unlimited Minecraft Melons: How to Build a Semiautomatic Melon Farm

Apr 1, 2012 05:21 PM

Are you tired of wasting diamonds and iron on creating hoes? Are you looking for a fun way to farm melons? Or do you simply want to show off to your friends? This tutorial will go over how to make a jaw-dropping semiautomatic melon farm. Not only will you be the talk of the server, but you'll have infinite melons for life!

Layout

Begin by digging out a little trench. This trench will be 6 blocks long and 2 blocks deep. The center will remain of the trench will remain for now!

Minecraft landscape showing two trenches, one 2 blocks deep and the other 6 blocks tall.

Sticky Pistons

Using 12 total sticky pistons, place them at the bottom level on each side of the trench. The should be facing upwards!

Minecraft tutorial showing the placement of pistons in a grid pattern.

Dig

On the outsides of the pistons, dig out another hole on each side that is the same size you created in the first step (6 blocks long, 2 deep).

Minecraft tutorial for digging holes for sticky pistons, dimensions noted.

Cover

Cover up the sticky pistons with some dirt. Then, dig out the center grass line so it is 6 blocks long and 1 block deep.

Guidelines for digging a trench in a game environment.

Water

Place the water at either side of your center line. Wherever you decide to place your water will be the back of your farm. The water will flow towards the front.

In the front of your farm, at the center water line, dig out 2 additional blocks so the water has more room.

Unlimited Minecraft Melons: How to Build a Semiautomatic Melon Farm
Minecraft building layout with a water feature.
Minecraft building layout with a water feature.
Unlimited Minecraft Melons: How to Build a Semiautomatic Melon Farm
Minecraft building layout with a water feature.
Minecraft building layout with a water feature.

Repeaters

Add repeaters on both sides at the piston level. The repeaters will all be facing the pistons that they are next to. The repeaters do not need a delay of any kind.

Minecraft redstone setup with repeaters and pistons near a water source.

Redstone

Connect all the repeaters with redstone!

Redstone circuitry setup in a Minecraft game.

Cover Up

On either side of the water flow, make sure the platform is 2 blocks wide.

Water flow platform construction diagram indicating dimensions in blocks.
Redstone circuit in a Minecraft environment.
Redstone farm layout in Minecraft with water and tilled soil.
Water flow platform construction diagram indicating dimensions in blocks.
Redstone circuit in a Minecraft environment.
Redstone farm layout in Minecraft with water and tilled soil.

Connection

Around the back of the setup, make a mini staircase. The staircase should not interfere with your redstone underground, so be sure to extend the staircase out the back. 

The redstone by the pistons are in a 6-long area before this step. On the 7th block (counting towards the back), that should be the first stair. 

Take redstone and connect it from the underground area to the back of the setup. Add a repeater at the back center that faces to the right of your farm.

Diagram of a Minecraft redstone setup with a mini staircase and water feature.

Button

At the front left of your farm, at the front of your redstone underground, break the grass/dirt there to make a little step up for the redstone. Place a block 1 block in front of the step, and put a button on that block (anywhere is good for now).

Minecraft redstone circuit with instructions for wiring.

Connect the back of the block to the redstone underground, and test out your button!

Redstone setup in a Minecraft farm area with labeled stones.

Hoe the Land

Hoe the land that is on the outside of the platform near your water. You will only need to hoe 6 blocks on each side.

Minecraft farming layout with a water channel and tilled soil.

Light Source

Add rows of glowstone behind the land that you just hoed. The glowstone should be 6 blocks long and only 1 block tall.

Minecraft building guide showing rows of planks, stone, and a water feature.

More Cover Up

Start the major cover up process. Pick any block of your choice (I used stone brick) and follow the guidelines in the images below. Begin by placing your building material directly on top of the glowstone. Create a back wall directly behind your water source. This wall will only be 1 thick and 7 blocks long.

Building layout with stone walls and a water channel in Minecraft.

On the sides, you will want to add another layer of blocks over the hoed land.

Minecraft construction featuring a player in armor standing over a stone bridge with water and farmland below.

Add another row on each side (on the inside layer), and build up the back wall so it is 3 blocks tall.

Minecraft structure with stone walls and a water channel.

The front two sides will be 2 blocks horizontally, 3 blocks vertically. 

Minecraft redstone contraption with a water stream and stone walls, featuring a lever and a note to use a button instead.

Minecraft building layout showing walls with dimensions and a water channel.

More Sticky Pistons

Add sticky pistons (6 on each side) to the outer edges. The sticky pistons should start being placed directly in front of the back wall. Add another layer to the back wall, so that it is now 4 blocks tall.

Finish off this part by adding 2 total blocks (1 on each side) at the front of the sticky pistons.

Minecraft water irrigation system build.

Cover up the front of your sticky pistons with your choice of building material.

Stone structure with a water channel, designed in a Minecraft-like style.

In the center on the top of your farm, directly above your water line, add a 6 long line. Connect the two front corners with blocks as well.

Minecraft build instruction showing a structure with a center "rail" and stone blocks.

Beginning the Inversion Process

Add a platform 6 blocks long and 1 block tall directly behind the sticky pistons at the top of your farm. Add a second platform behind the first platform, but 1 block up, making almost a mini staircase.

Minecraft build instructions showing platforms and sticky pistons.

Do this for both sides! 

Building instructions for a structure in a block-based game.

Columns

Add columns at the front left and front right of your farm. The columns will attach to the highest platform (the platform directly behind and 1 block away from the back of the sticky pistons). 

The columns should touch the ground.

Stone structure with a colonnade in a grassy landscape.

Redstone Torches

On the inside of the blocks behind the sticky pistons, add redstone torches. The redstone torches should be attached to the inside of the blocks, rather than resting on the ground.

These redstone torches will activate all your sticky pistons.

Redstone mechanism setup in a Minecraft build.

Add redstone dust (6 on each side) to the platform that the redstone torches are attached to (on both sides). This step will ensure that all of our sticky pistons are connected to each other.

Redstone circuit with torches in a Minecraft build.
Minecraft redstone circuit with stone blocks and water features.
Redstone circuit with torches in a Minecraft build.
Minecraft redstone circuit with stone blocks and water features.

Back to Inverting...

At the columns, break every other block. The block directly below the top platform with the redstone torch will be broken. The next one down will remain in place, and the bottom block will also be broken (the block on the ground).

Instructions for building in a block-based game with a focus on structural breaking.

Add 2 redstone torches on each side of your farm. The first redstone torch will be placed on the floating block, and the second will be placed directly below that on the ground. Again, do this for both sides.

You will notice the top left sticky pistons will open and close, then remain open when you place the last torch. We need our sticky pistons to be in the "on" position on default. This will make sure our water doesn't get out when we aren't ready for it.

Instructions for building a redstone mechanism in a block-based game environment.
Stone structure with redstone components in a Minecraft landscape.
Instructions for building a redstone mechanism in a block-based game environment.
Stone structure with redstone components in a Minecraft landscape.

Water Trench

On the top of your farm, add a water trench. The blocks for the trench will be placed directly in front of, and up 1 block from the sticky pistons. The center will also be built up 1 block on the whole line.

You should now have two separate areas where water can be stored safely without seeping through the bottom or sides.

Stone structure with redstone circuitry in a Minecraft landscape.

Side view - right side of farm

Minecraft redstone circuit built with stone bricks and torches.

Side view - left side of farm

Stone structure with redstone circuitry in a Minecraft landscape.

Side view - right side of farm

Minecraft redstone circuit built with stone bricks and torches.

Side view - left side of farm

Attaching Sides

For this step, at the front of your farm, you will need to dig another trench. This will be used to connect the two sides at the top of the farm to a lever at the front. The trench will be 11 blocks long at the front, and the two sides will be 5 blocks long.

It might be easier for you if you start with the sides. Go to the block directly in front of the redstone torch on the ground on each side. Dig straight down so you are 1 block away from the torch. The trench will be 3 blocks deep.

Continue digging a "walkway" of sorts, so each side by the redstone torches is 5 blocks long. Connect the two sides with an 11 block long hole that is also 3 blocks deep.

Minecraft building guide showing a layout of blocks, with dimensions of 11 blocks long and 3 blocks deep.

On the left and right, you will need to add a staircase for the redstone. The staircase will start 1 block away from the front corner of your trench. It will go up one block, go up another block and the top stair will be 3 blocks long.

Instructions for building a staircase in a grassy area with block measurements.
Unlimited Minecraft Melons: How to Build a Semiautomatic Melon Farm
Instructions for building a staircase in a grassy area with block measurements.
Unlimited Minecraft Melons: How to Build a Semiautomatic Melon Farm

Last of the Redstone

Add redstone throughout the entire trench you just dug out, including the steps. You will also need to add a repeater somewhere in the front facing the left of your farm, since the lever for the top half will be at the right of your farm.

Redstone wiring diagram for a Minecraft redstone circuit.
Minecraft redstone circuit with a lever and a stone tower structure.
Redstone wiring diagram for a Minecraft redstone circuit.
Minecraft redstone circuit with a lever and a stone tower structure.

Lever Setup

On the right of your farm next to the staircase, add 1 redstone. This redstone dust will be 2 blocks away from the front ledge so it will connect to the redstone that is on the front block on the top stair.

Minecraft redstone circuit layout instructions with measurements.

Add a block directly to the left of the redstone you just placed, and stick a lever on the inside. Be sure to test out your lever and make sure the top of your farm works as planned! 

When you flip the lever, the pistons at the top will pull inwards, exposing the top of your farm on each side. This is where our water will go in the next step!

Add a block with a lever in front of the redstone and test the top half of the redstone wiring.

Water

Add water to the trenches up top.

Water trench setup in a Minecraft build.

TIP: Do not flip the lever after this step. Because your redstone isn't covered up just yet, the water could break all your redstone!

Cover Up

Start adding walls around the inside front of your farm. Your lever and button should be placed the same way mine are, making the cover up process go a lot smoother!

Make sure no redstone is showing through the front!

Corner of a stone building with grassy surroundings.
A simple stone structure in a grassy landscape, resembling a castle or fortress.
Corner of a stone building with grassy surroundings.
A simple stone structure in a grassy landscape, resembling a castle or fortress.

Melon Seeds

Plant your melon seeds alone the back layer directly in front of your glowstone. The land should already be hoed, since we did that in Step 11. 

Melon seed planting guidance in a garden layout with a water stream.

OPTIONAL: Use bone meal to speed up the growing process of your melon seeds like I did!

A tutorial image showing a Minecraft farm layout for growing melons.

Glass Walls

Add a front glass wall directly in front of the dirt. This wall should be 3 high, and the center should be left open so you can enter the farm and leave if needed later on.

A doorway featuring glass panes and a water stream, with text instructions related to building in a block-based game.

Glass

On the inside of your farm, break the blocks that are directly over the melon seeds. These blocks that are going to be placed here need to be a transparent block in order for the melons to grow.

We need this layer above the melon seeds to protect our seeds from the water that will flow from the top of the farm. Without this layer of blocks, our seeds could drown!

Melon farming setup in a Minecraft-style environment with glass blocks and water.
Indoor plant growth setup with glass panels and a water channel.
Melon farming setup in a Minecraft-style environment with glass blocks and water.
Indoor plant growth setup with glass panels and a water channel.

Waiting...

Wait for your melons to grow big and strong! Or, if you have melon blocks and want to test the farm out, place those down instead!

Minecraft melon farm with a water channel between rows of growing melons and an instruction to wait for melons to grow.

Testing

Hit the button on the left front of your farm. The pistons will push up, and break the melon blocks into melon pieces!

Unlimited Minecraft Melons: How to Build a Semiautomatic Melon Farm
Water flowing through a stone pathway surrounded by redstone and glass structures in a Minecraft setting.
Unlimited Minecraft Melons: How to Build a Semiautomatic Melon Farm
Water flowing through a stone pathway surrounded by redstone and glass structures in a Minecraft setting.

Flip the lever to release the water! The water will start pushing all the melon pieces to the center water stream.

A pathway with a lever and water flowing, surrounded by stone walls.
Water flow through glass windows in a Minecraft building.
A pathway with a lever and water flowing, surrounded by stone walls.
Water flow through glass windows in a Minecraft building.

When all of the melons are in the center water flow, flip the lever again to shut it off.

Water flow control mechanism with instructions in a game environment.
Water stream flowing through glass windows in a stone structure.
Water flow control mechanism with instructions in a game environment.
Water stream flowing through glass windows in a stone structure.

Collection!

Collect all of your melons!

Water stream with melons and a message to collect them.

Questions for the Audience:

  • Have you ever made a similar melon farm?
  • Did you enjoy and learn something from this tutorial?
  • Would you be interested in a completely automatic melon farm?
  • What kind of tutorials would you like to see in the future?

I would love to hear a few words from the audience, so please... don't be shy!

Follow us on Twitter @MinecraftHowTo

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