Minecraft wiki entry for Crop_farming, associated text: The basic farm plot is a 9×9 plot of farmland with the center block replaced by water (often surrounded by fences, making it 11×11). This basic plot can be used for wheat, beetroots, carrots, or potatoes, or even for pumpkins and/or melons. As described above, it may be planted solidly, or in alternating rows for fastest total yield per area. For night growth, light may be suspended above the water block and placed around the edges. The central water hole can be covered with a bottom-slab, to avoid falling in; in recent versions, a top-slab can be placed in the water hole (that is, a waterlogged slab), for a flat surface.