Did you realise that, technically, peanuts are not nuts? We know you'll agree that they taste great whether they're raw, roasted, ground, or crushed. In reality, they're a kind of legume (which belongs to the pea family).
Try peanuts if you want to expand the produce in your vegetable garden plot beyond tomatoes, basil, and other similar plants. Growing them is surprisingly simple and enjoyable. A considerable quantity of nuts are produced by the plants, and they taste great when roasted and seasoned, added to baked items, or used in other recipes. Even better, you can make your own peanut butter, which is a fantastic component. Growing them in big pots, in the garden, or at home is really simple.
Peanut Planting Guide
Here's how you can grow peanuts in your backyard:
Suitable Planting Period
You are in the perfect place to produce peanuts if you reside in a region with long, warm summers and at least 120 to 150 frost-free days. When the soil temperature reaches 18 to 21 degrees Celsius, plant after the last frost.
Planting Site With Appropriate Spacing And Depth
Select a location that receives eight hours of direct sunlight every day, and plant in well-draining sandy loam soil.
Allowing three feet to separate the rows, sow the seeds two inches deep and four to six inches apart. A support structure is not necessary for peanut plants.
Full Light And Loose, Well-Drained Soil
Peanuts require eight hours a day of direct sunlight. The ideal soil conditions for peanut growth are loose, well-drained, sandy loam with a pH range of 6.0–6.5, which is slightly acidic. Avert clay soil that is hard and poorly drained. Never plant peanuts in the same area that you have previously used to produce beans or peas.
Sufficient Watering
During the growth season, peanuts require around one inch of rain or irrigation every week. Watering is very important right after planting to promote germination and seedling establishment. It's also important to water again 60 to 110 days later, once the pegs have penetrated the soil and are starting to fill with peanut clusters. It is best to stop watering the plants for two weeks or more before harvesting. When watering, try not to get the leaves wet and, if at all feasible, use drip irrigation. While not saturated, the soil should be damp.
Ideal Temperature
Peanuts grow best at temperatures between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius. However, damage to flowers might result from higher temperatures. While the plants are growing, somewhat humid circumstances are ideal, but before the harvest, a period of dry weather is required.
Fertiliser And Calcium
In the top six inches of the soil, where the pods develop, peanuts require calcium. This can be assisted by amending the soil at the time of planting with bone meal or a similar calcium source.
If rhizobium bacteria are present, peanuts are legumes that fix nitrogen in the soil on their own. Consequently, extra nitrogen fertiliser is not required for peanuts. However, it may be a good idea to apply a peanut inoculant to the soil at the time of planting if you are planting in an area where peanuts have never been cultivated before. This will encourage the roots to form the nodules that fix nitrogen in the soil.
Because of their high susceptibility to fertiliser burn, peanuts should only be fertilised just prior to sowing, and any fertiliser should be well incorporated into the soil.
Pollination
In order to reproduce, peanuts do not need pollinators to transfer pollen from one plant to another; instead, they self-pollinate. Plants begin to blossom approximately 40 days after planting when they are about 18 inches tall.