Are you looking to turn your Dragon Quest Builders island into a lush, tree-filled paradise? Growing a variety of trees can really transform your build and unlock new crafting options through harvested materials. But not all trees grow the same way. Some require special conditions or are slow to reach their full height.

This guide will walk you through how to plant and grow all the main tree types in Dragon Quest Builders. Whether you want to farm acorns or grow cacti balls, you’ll learn the tricks to turn your island into a veritable forest. Let’s get started!

Growing Normal Trees from Seeds and Saplings

Many common tree types like palms, pines, birches, and cherry blossoms can be grown from standard tree seeds or saplings. Here’s how to get them sprouting:

• Place tree seeds or saplings next to tilled earth blocks. Make sure to leave 1-2 blocks of space around the planting spot so your tree has room to grow big and tall!
• Using fertilizer on the tilled earth will speed up the growth process substantially. You can buy fertilizer or make your own once you build a compost bin.
• Be aware that the tree will grow into whatever tree type is directly adjacent to where you plant the seed. So place your seed next to the existing tree you want more of.
• Give your trees time to reach their full height and width potential. The more space you leave, the bigger they’ll get!

With a little patience for nature to take its course, you’ll have a healthy grove of palms, pines, and other productive trees. They’ll provide wood, seeds, and other harvesting options. Just don’t plant seeds randomly unless you want a forest full of mismatched trees!

Special Conditions for Growing Cedar Trees

Lovely cedar trees can provide rare cedar lumber. But getting them to grow takes some specific steps:

• Cedar saplings require snow or “snow” blocks to sprout and flourish. Regular grass or dirt won’t cut it.
• If you don’t have a snowy area on your island, use a Golem to create snow blocks where you want cedars.
• Once you have snow in place, put down cedar saplings or seeds and let the snow work its magic.

Cedar trees are pickier than other species, but with a bit of snow they’ll be growing stately and strong on your build. Just be ready to craft some hot cocoa once the winter wonderland sets in!

Harvesting Rare Blossoming Shrubs

Medicinal shrub seeds have a small chance of sprouting into special blossoming shrubs. Here are tips to get these rare shrubs for harvesting:

• Plant medicinal shrub seeds in tilled earth blocks. Fertilizer can help increase your chances.
• Most will grow into regular shrubs, but some randomly become blossoming shrubs.
• When blossoming shrubs appear, dig them up right away with your hammer. If you leave them, they’ll turn into normal shrubs.
• Replant more medicinal seeds and repeat the process until you have as many blossoming shrubs as you need.

With luck and persistence, you’ll accumulate a nice supply of blossoming shrubs to harvest for unique crafting recipes. They can be stubborn to grow, so don’t get discouraged!

Growing Ivies and Vineapples Downward

For an overgrown, ivy-covered look, try growing ivy vines:

• Place ivy blocks on a high wall or cliff edge and the vines will grow downwards randomly.
• Trim ivy to desired length by hitting ivy blocks with your sword.
• Occasionally as the ivy vines grow, they’ll produce vineapple fruits. So the longer you let them go, the more vineapples you’ll get!
• Use ivy-covered walls to create a lush, natural look and harvest vineapples for fruit smoothies.

Ivies are an easy way to get tons of vines cascading downward on your builds. Let them grow out of control or neatly trim them to your liking.

Planting and Growing Crops

In addition to trees, a well-rounded island has plots for vegetable and grain crops:

• You can grow wheatgrass, bamboo, and all the standard crops like corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and more from their corresponding seeds.
• Plant seeds in tilled earth blocks and use fertilizer to accelerate growth as always.
• For decorative flourishes, let crops grow fully then carefully dig them up with your gloves equipped. This will let you pick up the vegetable plants while keeping their grown shape. Then you can place them as accent “flowers.”
• Having village farmers till soil and plant crops saves time. Supply them tools, seeds, and chests to store the harvest.

A thriving farm crop section makes your island more lively and productive. Plus it looks great!

Spawning Cacti Balls in Cactus Gardens

If you’re growing cacti, here’s how to get cute cacti balls to generate:

• Plant cacti 8-9 blocks apart from each other in an enclosed room or fenced area.
• Cacti balls will randomly appear between the cacti every few in-game days.
• Create more cactus balls faster by building big cactus gardens with lots of room.
• Let your cacti grow as tall as you want—height doesn’t affect cacti ball spawning.

Cacti are already fun to build with, and cacti balls make perfect decorative accents once your cactus patch reaches maturity.

Growing Rare Fright Bulbs from Flower Patches

For spooky-themed builds, fright bulbs offer unique ghostly lighting effects. Coaxing them to grow takes some specific flower power:

• Till up a 3×3 dirt area and place at least 4 different flower colors in it. More is better for your chances.
• Every few in-game nights, there is a small possibility one of the flowers will turn into a fright bulb.
• Fright bulbs spawn very infrequently, so having multiple flower patches increases likelihood.
• Dig up the bulbs as soon as you spot them to collect for re-planting.

With multi-colored flower gardens and lots of time, you’ll eventually get fright bulbs to accent dark castle builds. Just be very patient for these rare blooms.

Farming Acorns from Custom Trees

Acorns have many crafting uses. Follow these steps for fresh acorn production:

• Build a custom “tree” at least 2 blocks wide by placing bark blocks 3-4 high.
• Top your bark tower with leaf blocks—the more the better. Six is a good starting point.
• Every couple in-game days, acorns should randomly spawn on your custom tree creation.
• Knock the acorns loose by hitting the leaf blocks with your hammer. Then pick them up.
• Make multiple acorn trees to multiply your yield.

With this acorn farming method, you’ll have a steady acorn supply without chopping down full-size trees. Now go forth and build all sorts of nutty acorn crafts!

Growing Tips to Maximize Your Trees

To get the most out of your island’s trees, keep these final growth tips in mind:

• Use fertilizer often to accelerate growth times. Well-fed trees grow faster and stronger!
• Leave ample space around saplings so trees can reach their full size potential.
• Have patience! Some trees like cedars and fright bulbs are very slow growing. But with time and care they’ll get there.
• Stagger planting times so you always have trees in different growth stages for consistent harvesting.

Take inspiration from real life—healthy trees need nurturing and room to stretch. With attentive care, your island will be a thriving garden utopia. Time to relax under the palm trees and enjoy your handiwork!

Frequently Asked Tree Growing Questions

Q: Do trees keep growing or stop at a certain size?

A: Trees will grow until they reach their maximum height and width, which depends on the space allowed around their sapling. So they don’t stop after a certain time, but when their growth limit is reached.

Q: Should I use fertilizer every day?

A: Fertilizer can be used daily, but for best results fertilize newly planted saplings and any stunted trees. More mature, healthy trees don’t need as much.

Q: Can I plant trees indoors or underground?

A: Unfortunately no—trees will only grow outdoors with direct sun exposure. An artificial sun lamp doesn’t count either.

Q: What’s the rarest tree in the game?

A: Fright bulbs have the lowest spawn rates, requiring multi-colored flower patches and lots of luck. Cedar trees are also challenging due to needing snow.

Q: How often do acorns spawn on custom trees?

A: Give or take a couple in-game days between acorn spawns. Creating multiple acorn trees speeds up collection.

Q: Will using the wrong tool damage growing trees?

A: Yes, be careful! Use your gloves to carefully pick up saplings for re-planting. Use your hammer for harvesting materials without cutting down trees.

Conclusion

And there you have it—everything you need for growing all kinds of trees in Dragon Quest Builders. From the common to the ultra-rare, you can make your island a lush forest paradise. Think carefully about spacing, soil conditions, and growth times for each tree type. With patience and care, you’ll unlock amazing building materials and breathing new life into your island.

Now get out there, grow some trees, and watch your builds transform into amazing living worlds. Just be careful not to plant Acorn Archipelago—save some space for you!

What tree-growing tricks have worked for you in Dragon Quest Builders? Share your experiences in the comments!