How to Plant and Grow Peanut Plants

Growing and harvesting peanuts from peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea) is a little like hosting your own treasure hunt. These warm-season plants are easy to grow in areas with long, hot summers and moist, well-drained soil. They form their nuts underground, and it's time to dig for your treasure when the peanut plant foliage turns yellow. The underground nuts are ready to eat a few weeks after digging and drying. Grow peanuts in the vegetable garden where the soil is loose and moist.

Where to Grow Peanut Plants

In the United States, most peanuts are grown in the South, which provides the heat, humidity, and long days these plants love. They grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-11, but this summer annual can also grow in home gardens in Zones 6 and 7 if the region has plenty of warm, frost-free days. Provide a site with lots of sunshine and loose, well-draining soil.

How and When to Plant Peanut Plants

Plant peanuts after the danger of frost has passed in spring and the soil has warmed to at least 65°F. Sow seeds 1 to 2 inches deep and 6 to 8 inches apart in well-draining, slightly acidic soil. Ideal row spacing for bunch types is about 24 inches apart, and 36 inches apart is best for runner types.

After the peanuts germinate and start growing, they produce yellow flowers. After the flowers are fertilized, they bend down and penetrate the soil, where they produce "pegs" that bear the peanuts. At this point, gardeners hill up the soil around the base of the plant.

Peanut Plant Care Tips

Promote a strong peanut crop by cultivating around plants to remove weeds. Work carefully and shallowly, being careful not to damage the peanut roots.

Light

Peanuts grow best in areas with lots of full sun—at least eight hours daily.

Soil and Water

Peanuts thrive in loose, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic with a pH of 6.0 to 6.5. This root crop languishes in clay that stays wet. Because the vast majority of peanuts are grown in Southern states where it is hot, the plants may need to be watered two to four times a week, depending on the local weather. Don't let the soil dry out completely—keep it slightly moist—but don't overwater.

Temperature and Humidity

Peanuts grow best in high heat and high humidity. The soil must reach 65°F-70°F for germination. After that, the plants grow best in a range of 85°F-95°F. When nighttime temperatures fall for several days, the soil temperature might drop to 65°F or lower. At this point, the peanuts stop maturing.

Fertilizer

Some gardeners think that peanut plants don't need any fertilizer because they fix nitrogen in the soil, but these plants can benefit from an application of bone meal or a granular fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 0-10-20 in the quantity recommended on the packaging. Add the fertilizer to the soil before the seeds are sown. Peanut plants are susceptible to fertilizer burn, so don't over-fertilize.

When the flowers start to form on the peanut plants, add gypsum to the soil at a rate of 1/2 cup per 10 feet of plants. It doesn't burn the plants and is vital to peanut production.

Pruning

Although pruning a peanut plant isn't required, it might increase the yield. After the plant flowers and the flowers enter the soil at the base of the plant, cut off any diseased branches or non-flowering branches.

Potting and Repotting

If you're curious and only want to grow a few peanut plants to see how they work, fill a container at least 18-20 inches across and 18 inches deep with loose, well-drained soil. Open a single raw peanut shell and press the two or three seeds about 2 inches into the soil, spaced evenly apart. Water the soil and put the pot outside in a place that receives at least 8 hours of direct sun daily. After the seeds germinate and the plants produce a yellow flower that drops to ground level, pull the soil into a mound around the plant base. Wait two to three months for the foliage to turn yellow, which is the sign to pull up the plants and check the peanuts.

Repotting won't be necessary as this hot-weather annual lives only a single season.

Pests and Problems

Peanut plants can fall prey to several common garden pests, including thrips and leafhoppers, both of which can be treated with neem oil or insecticidal soap.

Row covers can discourage moths that lay eggs resulting in leaf-eating worms and caterpillars. The caterpillars can be treated with a biological insecticide containing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), which is not harmful to people.

How to Propagate Peanut Plants

To propagate peanuts, you need fresh, raw, uncooked peanuts still in their shells. Harvest them from your plants, order them online, or pick up a few at the local market. Open the shells and sow the peanuts on a prepared garden bed when the weather is at least 65°F. Cover them with 1-2 inches of soil and water well.

Peanut Plant Harvesting Tips

Peanut plants bloom about 40 days after they germinate. After pollination, peanuts develop in nine to 10 weeks. Peanut plants flower over several weeks, meaning all the pods do not mature at the same time. Harvest peanuts when the foliage begins to turn yellow. Use a spading fork to gently lift the peanut plants from the ground. Shake off any loose soil.

Cure or dry the plants by hanging them in a warm, dry, shaded place, such as a shed or garage, for about two weeks. Then, shake off any remaining soil and pull the peanut pods from the plants. Continue to air-dry the peanuts for an additional one to two weeks.

Types of Peanuts

Peanuts are classified by their nut type. Four types of peanuts are commonly grown in the United States. Most home gardeners plant tidy bunch-type peanut plants, while commercial farmers prefer the running type because it produces more peanuts per plant.

Virginia

Virginia types are large-podded and contain one or two large peanuts per pod. These bunch-type plants produce the largest peanuts and are an excellent choice for in-the-shell roasting.

Spanish

Spanish types are smaller-podded and contain two or three small peanuts per pod. These bunch-type peanuts are well-suited for roasting because their peanuts contain more oil than other peanut types, which accentuates the nutty flavor.

Valencia

Valencia peanuts are bunch-type plants with three (and sometimes more) peanuts in their pods. Their shells are thin compared to other peanuts, which makes them a good choice for boiling because salt can penetrate the shells easily. However, they aren't frequently grown in the United States.

Runners

Runner-type peanut plants are most often planted by commercial growers and are primarily used to produce peanut butter. The difference between runners and bunch types is that runners produce peanuts all along their stems rather than the single peanut at the stem end produced by bunch-type plants. They take up more room to grow but yield more peanuts per plant.

Peanut Companion Plants

The best companion plants for peanuts are vegetables that have similar growing requirements, including carrots, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes. In addition, many aromatic herbs that repel pests and attract pollinators are good companion plants for peanuts.

Rosemary

Known for its scent and flavor, rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub hardy in Zones 8-10. Rosemary plants thrive in hot weather, and its insect-repelling fragrance is as welcome in the garden as its flavor is in the kitchen.

Summer Savory

Summer savory has a delicate, feathery texture and a delightful scent. This easy-to-grow annual is known for repelling cabbage moths, beetles, and aphids, all while attracting honey bees. Summer savory can handle the heat as long as it grows in moist, well-draining soil. Zones 5-11

Society Garlic

Society garlic is a perennial with delicate blossoms and a potent aroma. It works in rock gardens, sunny borders, herb gardens, and containers. Hardy in Zones 7-10, society garlic blooms in the summer and can last through the fall. This low-maintenance, heat- and drought-tolerant plant adds interest to any garden. Plant society garlic in an area of the garden that receives full sun and has rich, well-draining soil.