Table of Contents
Who this is for: Minecraft players looking to cultivate dark oak trees for building projects or wood farming.
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What Makes Dark Oak Trees Special
Dark oak trees are unique in Minecraft because they require a 2×2 arrangement of saplings to grow, unlike other tree types that can grow from a single sapling. This means you’ll need at least four dark oak saplings placed in a square pattern to successfully grow one tree.
Step-by-Step Growing Process
First, gather your dark oak saplings. You can obtain these by breaking the leaves of existing dark oak trees in the dark forest biome, or by trading with wandering traders. Each sapling has about a 5% chance of dropping when you break dark oak leaves.
Next, find a suitable location with enough space. Dark oak trees need a clear area that’s at least 6×6 blocks wide and about 7-8 blocks tall. The ground should be dirt, grass, coarse dirt, or podzol.
Place your four dark oak saplings in a 2×2 square pattern on the ground. Make sure they’re directly adjacent to each other with no gaps. The saplings must be placed on the same level – you can’t have them at different heights.
Growth Requirements and Tips
Dark oak saplings need adequate light to grow, with a light level of at least 8. They also require bone meal to grow reliably – unlike some other trees, dark oak saplings rarely grow naturally over time without bone meal assistance.
Apply bone meal to any one of the four saplings in your 2×2 arrangement. You might need to use bone meal multiple times before the tree actually grows. When it does grow, all four saplings will be consumed to create one large dark oak tree.
Common Growing Problems
If your tree isn’t growing, check these common issues:
- Insufficient space above or around the saplings
- Saplings not arranged in a perfect 2×2 square
- Too low light levels in the area
- Blocks obstructing the growth area
The tree will typically grow to be quite large, often reaching 6-8 blocks in height with a thick trunk and sprawling canopy. Once grown, you can harvest the wood and leaves, with leaves potentially dropping more saplings for future planting.
For more Minecraft building and farming techniques, explore our comprehensive collection of guides and tutorials.
TL;DR
Dark oak trees require four saplings arranged in a 2×2 square pattern, adequate space (6×6 area), and bone meal to grow successfully in Minecraft.
