A Minecraft Cactus XP Farm is one of the easiest ways to generate a steady supply of experience points with very little maintenance. By automatically harvesting and smelting cactus, this farm produces XP while you’re busy exploring, building or working on other projects. In this guide, you’ll learn how to build an efficient cactus XP farm, how it works, and the best ways to maximise your experience gain and cactus production in both Java and Bedrock Edition.
What is a Minecraft Cactus XP Farm?
These are instructions for a Minecraft cactus XP farm. Having an XP farm is one of the most effective ways to gain experience in Minecraft. XP can be obtained in a number of ways, some of the most practical is to create farms. There are many different XP farm that can be created to farm XP. XP is also gained during normal gameplay by mining for minerals and ores.
This is a build that will get large amounts of XP. It is quite a complicated build that uses iron bars which will break the cactus when they grow. The cactus will fall into the water which will carry it down to a row of hoppers which will then carry it to a chest and furnace.
What is XP used for –
- Rename equipment – items can be renamed in the anvil.
- Combine enchantments and equipment – anvils allow the players to combine two used or broken enchanted books or tool/weapons/armour into one fixed item.
- Enchanting – use an enchanting table to enchant books, tools, weapons or armour.
- Mending – mending is done automatically on any item that has the enchantment of mending. The XP is removed when the mending occurs. The amount depends of what is being mended.
- Repairing – repairing is done in the anvil and it depends on what is being repaired on the cost of XP.
Materials needed for a Minecraft Cactus XP Farm
These are the ingredients and recipes that you will need to make this Minecraft cactus XP farm. Please ensure that you have all of the ingredients before you start your build.
| Item | Picture | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chest |  | 2 |
| Furnace |  | 1 |
| Hopper |  | 11 |
| Glass block |  | 135 |
| Dirt block |  | 99 |
| Stone block |  | 16 |
| Sand block |  | 16 |
| Cactus |  | 16 |
| Bucket of water |  | 9 |
| Iron bars |  | 12 |
Hopper – You will need to craft a chest first.
How to build a Minecraft Cactus XP Farm
Here we will explain in detail how to build this Minecraft cactus XP farm. Please follow the instructions carefully.
- The first step is place down a furnace.
- Next attach two hoppers leading into the furnace. One on the side and one on the top. You will need to crouch in order to attach the hoppers.
- Place a double chest on top of the hopper that leads into the chest on the top as shown in the picture. You will need to crouch to do this as well.
- Next place a hopper leading into the right hand side of the chest above the furnace.
- This will enable you to get dye from the cactus and thus XP.
- Let’s now place 8 more hoppers that lead into the hopper that is already there leading into the chest.
- In this step we need to build a 11 x 9 grass block structure that goes out from the line of hoppers.
- Ensure that there is one block extra on either side of the hoppers.
- Next, let’s build a glass wall on the edge of the grass structure on 3 sides leaving the edge by the hoppers free.
- This needs to be 4 blocks high.
- In the next stage we need to place stone blocks down one block above the grass structure so they look like they are floating. This will allow water to flow underneath.
- Each stone block should be 1 block away from anything else. Except the front blocks which touch the hoppers.
- If you start at the edge of the hoppers it will make it easier to place them in the right place.
- Next, we need to place a sand block on top of each of the stone blocks.
- In this section we will place a cactus on top of each of the sand blocks.
- This is because cactus will only grow on sand.
- Now we need to place iron bars between the cactus and ensure they are in line front to back.
- Now place your buckets of water along the bottom at the back of the build so that it flows towards the hoppers.
- If this is the correct length the water will stop at the hoppers.
Hints and Tips for building a Minecraft Cactus XP Farm
Common problems and solutions
- If your water is not flowing properly – This normally means that you have placed a block that is touching the bottom of the build. Ensure that there is gap for the water flow.
- If your water is not reaching the hoppers – This will mean that the hoppers are too far away from the starting water block. Water will only flow for 7 blocks from the source blocks. This means that it will flow for a total of 8 blocks.
- If the Cactus is not breaking – this means that you have not set up your iron bars correctly. Ensure that the iron bars go front to back in between the Cacti.
- Cactus not changing to dye – this can happen if your furnace is not working. Ensure that your furnace has fuel.
Additions to the build
When dealing with this build one of the additions that you can make is to increase the width of the build. This will mean you can harvest more Cactus and produce more XP.
Minecraft Cactus XP Farm FAQ
How does a Minecraft Cactus XP Farm work?
AA cactus XP farm automatically harvests cactus and sends it to a furnace for smelting into green dye.. The smelting process stores experience points, which can be collected when you remove an item from the furnace.
Is a cactus XP farm fully automatic?
Yes. Once built, the farm can automatically harvest and smelt cactus. You only need to collect the stored XP and occasionally ensure the fuel supply remains stocked.
Does this farm work in both Java and Bedrock Edition?
Most cactus XP farm designs work in both Minecraft Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. However, some redstone components and timings may need slight adjustments depending on your version.
What is the best fuel for a cactus XP farm?
Bamboo is one of the most popular choices because it can be farmed automatically. Coal, charcoal, and dried kelp blocks are also effective fuel sources.
How much XP does a cactus XP farm generate?
XP generation depends on the size of the farm and how many furnaces are running. Larger farms with multiple furnaces can store significant amounts of experience over time.
Why isn’t my cactus breaking?
Cactus must have a solid block placed directly beside it. When the cactus grows into that block, the new cactus segment breaks and is collected by the farm.
How far does water flow in Minecraft?
A water source block flows up to 7 blocks horizontally on a flat surface. After that, you’ll need another water source block or a drop to continue transporting items.
Can I leave the farm running while AFK?
Yes. Many players use cactus XP farms while AFK to accumulate cactus and stored experience. Ensure your farm chunk remains loaded for it to continue operating.
What’s the best location for a cactus XP farm?
A cactus XP farm can be built almost anywhere in the Overworld. Placing it near your base makes it easier to access stored XP and collected cactus.
Can I use smokers instead of furnaces?
No. Smokers only process food items. Since cactus smelts into green dye, you must use regular furnaces or blast furnaces are not suitable either.