Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Kelp Farm in Minecraft

Creating a kelp farm in Minecraft is both straightforward and highly beneficial. This type of farm allows players to convert kelp into dried kelp, which can serve as a food source or be fashioned into dried kelp blocks—an excellent fuel alternative for various smelting operations. If you’re running a super smelter but struggling with fuel supplies, you’ve come to the right place. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive guide on how to construct an efficient kelp farm to maximize your resources.

Essential Resources for Your Kelp Farm

Building a kelp farm primarily requires easily obtainable items, but pay special attention to the redstone components, which may be costly in the early stages of the game. Here’s a list of what you’ll need:

14 or more Kelp
14 or more Observers
14 or more Pistons
14 or more Redstone dust
1 or more Hoppers
1 or more Chests
Several water buckets (consider creating an infinite water source nearby)
A few stacks of solid building blocks
Glass blocks (optional for visibility)

Steps to Build Your Kelp Farm in Minecraft

In this guide, we will build upon a design showcased by popular YouTuber Pixlriffs, while making some enhancements for simplicity. Let’s dive right in:

Constructing the First Layer

Select a suitable location for your farm, measuring nine blocks long and at least seven blocks wide. The height is adjustable based on your preferences and expansion plans.
Excavate a trench that is seven blocks long, three blocks wide, and one block deep. Create a one-block-deep hole along the center lengthwise. Optionally, enhance the appearance by placing solid blocks on either side of the trench.
Waterlog the trench entirely and plant kelp on both sides of the central hole.

Next, position the pistons one block above and directly behind the kelp, ensuring they face towards the plants. Install them behind each kelp plant on both sides.
Attach observers directly above these pistons, making sure they are oriented towards the kelp.

Pistons behind the kelp and observers on top of them

To keep the structure tidy, surround it with a case. Use glass blocks for visibility if desired, and then fill the area with water as depicted in the image below.

Case around pistons and observers with water inside

Enhance water retention by placing extra water sources at the same height as the pistons, verifying they are contained. This step is optional but helps prevent kelp items from despawning.

Holes in the wall of the kelp farm with water sources in them

Add solid blocks behind the pistons and apply redstone dust on top to ensure pistons activate with kelp growth detected by observers.

Adding Additional Layers

This farm offers the flexibility to build upwards. Referencing Pixlriffs’s tutorial video, construct another layer with solid blocks, pistons, and observers while planting kelp on top of the bottom observers.
Begin by placing a line of solid blocks one block above the existing observers, followed by pistons and observers oriented toward the kelp.

Second layer of the kelp farm with observers and pistons

Encase this new structure, fill it with water, and plant kelp on the newly set observers.

Before finalizing, repeat the steps of placing solid blocks and redstone dust behind the new pistons, adjusting the design according to your resource availability.

Building the Collection System

The collection system can be more intricate. Start by creating a water stream at the top to help collect kelp and guide it to a single hopper for storage.
Select any side of the farm as the main collection side and build an additional layer of solid blocks on the three remaining sides.

Layer of blocks surrounding three sides of the kelp farm

Cover the entire top layer with blocks at the height of the upper observers. If available, using ice blocks will transform into water sources upon breaking, but any block will work.

Glass blocks covering the farm at the height of observers

Next, place water sources across the width of the farm at the far end, directing it toward your chosen collection area.

Establish a new water stream beneath the edge of the farm by placement of solid blocks, extending across. Create a trench where the hopper and chests will be located.
At this trench’s end, insert a hopper that funnels into a chest beneath it. You can connect multiple chests and hoppers if desired.
Finally, add another layer of solid blocks over the new water stream and behind the hopper to contain the items. Remember to add a water source at the opposite side of the hopper in this trench.

Collection system on the side of a kelp farm

Collection system trench with taller walls so items cannot fall outside

If you choose to add height to your farm, lengthen the trench and increase the number of water sources at the far end.
Be sure to remove the temporary blocks set at the height of the top observers. If you used ice, simply break it; otherwise, ensure to replace any solid blocks with water sources.
Fill the area under the observers with water sources to allow kelp items to rise to the top, ensuring all water blocks below the observers are filled with a source.

Completed kelp farm with two layers and a collection system with water streams at the top and the collection water stream on the side in Minecraft

With your kelp farm complete, you can now sit back and watch the kelp accumulate. If you need to troubleshoot any flowing water, simply remove it, repeat the relevant steps, and your farm will be back in action.