Peanuts

[Eugene]

How does one grow peanuts?

[Mr E]

Well, Eugene,
Down here in the South, you just get the seeds, plant them in rows (approx. 36" rows), apply fertilizer.
They take soil samples to determine how much of what to use. Farmers do use chemicals for weed control in the large fields.
Then irrigate or pray for enough rain to make the crop.

I know this is a high-level answer, but that's about it.

Any specific questions, let me know & we take a shot at it.


Roy

[Eugene]

Sonny's wife Virginia posted on roasting home grown peanuts. They live Illinois. Just wondered about growing peanuts in the Midwest.

[SONNY]

EUGENE!!!--- I did have good luck with them last year!----We had 2 rows about 60 feet long and ended up with 22 pounds of shelled nuts to roast!

I planted them in first year plowed sod,--so I did have to battle the crabgrass, but won !
Till the ground good,keep it as loose as possible, (so the pegs can go into the ground after they bloom.)
I planted the seed about 10" apart, (found out later they recommend 6" between seeds), plant 1-1/2 to 2" deep, in rows 40" apart, (the plants filled the middles so you couldnt walk down them, so they will get long and set nuts right out to the ends!) They will grow up and lay over on the ground,---this is what you want them to do so the pegs can reach the ground after blooming.
Sandy ground would work great too since it would stay loose!
They like warm ground, and warm weather but I planted early so it took them a while to sprout and come up.--they are about 120 day crop, so it does push the season odds here. (neighbors laughed at me for even planting peanuts,until they saw the harvest!)
We had only 2 varieties,---Tennessee Red Valencia and Virginia Jumbo-----both a 110-120 day variety.---This year I want to try the spannish type, (smaller kernel, but shorter season 90- 100 day),-----they also have one called Pre- Civil War Peanut, (90 day,---might be good for the mid-west too)--there may be other varieties that will grow in the mid-west too!--still checking that out!---They do grow slow, and look like the are just standing there doing nothing!
When they bloom, the flower looks like a mini-pea flower and is yellow in color!
good moisture helps make a big crop, but I dont have a good way to water the garden, so it is kind of on its own as for moisture.
I didnt fertilize the garden at all last year, and not sure how it tests, (will do a couple soil tests this year when I get a test kit)
When you harvest them,--IF the ground is loose enough you can just get a "bear hug" on the end plant and lift,wiggle, and start rolling the plants out of the ground, with nuts attached!(be careful to not break the pegs off because that leaves the nut in the ground)!
Then hang/lay them in warm dry place to air dry!---pick the pods off and dry until they will shell fairly easy!---after shelling, either store in containers or roast at that time, then store in the containers!(IF they last that long!lol!) ---Mighty good eating!!!
I know the commercial growers use machines, but you can grow and harvest them in the garden by hand.
This is how we grew them here and I think I covered all the main points in the process!---I posted some pics of them growing last year in the 2008 garden thread!---the leaves kinda' look like alfalfa leaves/plants,---Peanuts are a legume class crop/plant too! Thanks; sonny