Peanuts are surprisingly easy to grow. You don’t need to be an expert farmer to grow these legumes. Yes, despite their name they are actually legumes that are a part of the bean and pea family. Peanuts grow underground, not on a tree like other nuts. Almonds, walnuts, and other nuts grow on trees. If you love peanuts, you’ll love having your very own to snack on or make peanut butter out of. Here’s how to grow your own peanut plant in just four months!
When to Plant Peanuts
Peanuts need a lot of sunlight and don’t like the cold. If you live in the Northern region of the country you may have to start you plant indoors before you transplant the peanut plant outdoors. You can go ahead and plant the peanuts outdoors after the risk of frost is gone if you live in the South. This means that you’ll probably be planting around the end of April or May.
Where to Plant Peanuts
You need to plant your peanut wherever you get the most direct sunlight. Peanut plants flourish in the sunlight. You will also need to plant your peanut where the soil is loose and fertile. The sunlight needs to be able to reach the peanut through the soil so it cannot be packed down too tight.
Image Source: Pixabay
How to Plant Peanuts
Get a peanut and put it about 2 inches deep down into the soil. Each planted peanut should be about 5 inches away the last planted peanut. If you’re planting rows of peanuts, each row should be about 2-3 feet apart. Make sure that the thin, brown skin is still on the peanut when you plant it otherwise it will not germinate. If the peanut plants start to look crowded, you can thin your plants so that they’re about 10 inches apart. Water your peanut plants weekly. Be careful not to overwater your plants. Avoid nitrogen rich fertilizers because legumes produce their own nitrogen, and adding a nitrogen fertilizer might give the plant too much of it.
Harvesting Peanuts
Peanuts are ready to harvest when the leaves at the top of the plant have turned yellow. This will be sometime around Fall. Peanuts can be ready to harvest in as little as 4 months since you planted them. You can pull up a few peanuts to check if they are ready. Don’t wait too long to harvest your peanuts otherwise harvesting becomes a lot more difficult. If you wait too long, the peanuts will break off of the plant when you try to pull them out and be stuck in the dirt so you’ll have to dig them out. Pull the top of the plant upwards and the peanuts will be at the bottom of the plant under the dirt. Shake off the excess dirt and remove the peanuts from the plant. Let the shelled peanuts air dry until they’re easy to break open. Now enjoy snacking on your homegrown peanuts!
Summing Up
Peanuts are easy to grow and don’t require a lot of maintenance. You only have to water peanuts once a week. Put your peanut plant in a sunny place and make sure the soil is nice and soft. Avoid nitrogen rich fertilizers so that your plant doesn’t get too much nitrogen. Then you’ll have a delicious and healthy snack in as little as 4 months!
Image Source: Pixabay
