Grow peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) is possible both in the garden and in pots to enjoy delicious nuts after the summer.
In this article we will show you how to plant and grow peanuts organically, how to plant them, harvest them and how to care for them. Organic peanuts require natural care, but this is an easy task.
Here is a summary:
Family: legumes.
Planting: Late winter or early spring.
Harvest: late summer – early autumn.
Growth cycle: 90 to 150 days.
How to sow peanut seeds
Peanut seeds are sown in early spring. You should of course get peanut kernels with the shell on and raw, unroasted.
Peel the shell but leave the pink shell and plant the peanuts in a pot or bed with fine soil and some sand.
Germination is rapid and occurs within 10 days in a warm, dry place, preferably at a temperature of 25 to 30 °C.
Cover the seeds with a 1 to 2 cm layer of soil and water generously, but do not form puddles. Later, when the seeds germinate, you need to limit watering and water only when the top layer of soil is dry. Always keep the bed moist and in the shade until the plants begin to germinate.
When they germinate, they can be placed in a larger pot with light, sandy soil more or less rich in organic matter. Once established, the plants can be placed in a sunny spot on the garden floor or in a large container.
Grow peanuts directly in the ground
Once the danger of frost has passed, you can start planting again. Peanuts are not a demanding plant in terms of nutrients, but they are demanding on structure, so the soil must be light, loose and deep.
Choose the sunniest spot in the garden and plant the plants 30cm apart. When doing this, be careful not to cover the leaves, that is, taking into account the height at which they were born.
The soil should always be loose and well-drained so that the peanuts can grow easily underground and there is no excess water that could rot them.
Tip for growing peanuts: In areas with cool summers, you can grow peanuts in pots. They can also be grown indoors out of season.
Weeding peanut plants as a maintenance task.
Peanuts grow very well at temperatures of 10 to 40 °C, but cannot tolerate temperatures below 0 °C.
Growing peanuts in pots
The seeds should be placed in pots or other containers filled with sandy soil or soil with added sand. If you use pure soil, do not water too much or the soil will become compacted and the plant’s roots may suffocate.
The size of the pot must be appropriate, 3 plants should grow per 1 liter of volume. This is the best density for plants to grow comfortably and get a good harvest. More plants means more leaves, but these become smaller, so some seeds are wasted.
Good irrigation management is important; Too much water causes the peanuts to die or grow too little.
The pot should be in the brightest possible location as these are sun-loving plants, but larger plants can tolerate moderate shade. Cover peanut flowers with soil so that they bear fruit.
Flowering occurs a month after transplanting.
The vegetation cycle lasts 90 to 150 days.
In order for fruit to form, the flowers must be buried in the soil, but the plant does this job itself.
Many people think that peanuts grow in the above ground part of the plant, but no, peanuts grow underground.
As the plant continues to grow and begin to bloom, the flowers that appear become buried. You can cover the flowers with some soil, but the cycle is best done naturally.
Peanut plants bloom all summer long. The more flowers are buried, the greater the harvest.
Peanut harvest
Harvesting occurs in late summer and early fall when the leaves are almost completely yellow or dry. The peanuts will be underground.
Use a garden fork to agitate the soil, being careful not to damage the peanut plants. Loosen the soil and try to remove the entire plant with its peanuts.
This can be a little tricky depending on how many plants you’re growing, but it’s worth it!
After harvesting, it is best to dry the peanuts in the fresh air for a few days. The best way to dry peanuts is to leave them in the sun for a week. It must be protected from rain and if it is an area with heavy morning dew.
On such days, try to rotate them from all sides so that the sunlight hits all the fruits evenly and they dry evenly. They must be very dry in order to be stored without fungal attack.
You can also roast them if you are in a humid area to ensure preservation.
Remember to save some raw seeds for sowing next season.
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