In Minecraft, a single water source block hydrates farmland up to 4 blocks away in all horizontal directions, including diagonally, on the same level or one block above the farmland. This means one water block can hydrate a 9x9 area of farmland (81 blocks total), with the water block in the center, effectively hydrating 80 farmland blocks around it
. More specifically:
- Water hydrates farmland up to 4 blocks away horizontally.
- This includes blocks diagonally up to 4 blocks away.
- The water can be either a still source block or flowing water.
- The water can be on the same vertical level as the farmland or one block above it.
This hydration effect means you only need one water block to irrigate a large patch of farmland efficiently, which is why the common farming design is a single water block surrounded by farmland in a 9x9 grid
. Additionally, flowing water can also hydrate farmland similarly, and creative setups can extend irrigation vertically or in flowing streams to cover even more farmland, but the basic and most efficient pattern remains the 9x9 block area around a single water source
. In summary, water irrigates farmland up to 4 blocks away horizontally in all directions, covering a total 9x9 area with one water source block at the center.
