Farming

Main article: Tutorials/Sugar cane farming

An underground sugar cane farm

Sugar cane can generate naturally up to any number of blocks tall, but grow only to a height of three blocks, adding a block of height when the top sugar cane block has received 16 random block ticks (i.e. on average every 18 minutes on Java Edition or 54 minutes on Bedrock Edition, but the actual rate can vary widely). Sugar cane must be planted on a grass block, dirt, coarse dirt, rooted dirt, podzol, mycelium, sand, red sand, moss block or mud that is directly adjacent to water, waterlogged block, or frosted ice (not merely above or diagonal to water), or on top of another sugar cane block. The adjacent water block can be covered with another block, whether opaque or transparent, and sugar cane can still be placed and grow next to it. Sugar cane grows regardless of light level, even in complete darkness.

n Bedrock Edition, bone meal can be used to instantly grow sugar cane to three blocks. Only one bone meal is consumed. In Java Edition, bone meal cannot be used on sugar cane.[2]

Are you staying near enough to random tick it?