How to Make Coarse Dirt in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Combine two dirt and two gravel in a checkerboard pattern to craft four coarse dirt. It drops itself without Silk Touch. Grass and mycelium cannot spread onto it, making it useful for permanent dirt paths and rough landscaping.

What you need

2 dirt
2 gravel
Hoe, shovel or water bottle (optional, for conversion)

Step by step

Collect two ordinary dirt blocks and two gravel blocks.
Open the inventory crafting grid or a crafting table. Arrange dirt and gravel in a 2x2 checkerboard: dirt/gravel on one row, gravel/dirt on the next.
Take four coarse dirt. This is a shaped recipe; placing the ingredients in a line will not work.
Place it for a rough soil surface that grass and mycelium will not take over. Saplings, flowers and several other plants can still grow on it under their usual conditions.
To turn it into normal dirt, leave air above it and use a hoe once. Use the hoe again if you want farmland.
Alternatively, use a shovel to make a dirt path, or use a water bottle to turn the block into mud.

Java vs Bedrock

The checkerboard recipe and self-drop work in Java and Bedrock. A shovel is fastest for gathering placed coarse dirt, but any tool or your hand works. Unlike grass blocks, coarse dirt does not need Silk Touch to stay intact.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

Does grass spread onto coarse dirt?

No. Neither grass nor mycelium spreads onto it. That makes coarse dirt useful when you want a permanent brown soil surface.

Can I turn gravel into dirt with this recipe?

Two dirt plus two gravel make four coarse dirt. Hoe those four blocks to get four normal dirt, turning the two gravel inputs into two extra dirt blocks.

Do I need a crafting table?

No. The 2x2 checkerboard fits in the inventory crafting grid.

Why does a hoe not make farmland immediately?

The first use turns coarse dirt into normal dirt, provided there is air above it. Use the hoe again on the dirt to make farmland.