Growing Peanuts:
How to Grow Peanuts Organically

If you love them as much as we do, growing peanuts in warmer climates is a straightforward process that should be added to your garden plan. Unfortunately, those in cooler climates may have a tougher time.

To grow best, peanuts need full sun, and sandy, loamy and well-drained soil that has been enriched with organic matter.

• Planting Peanuts
• Growing Peanuts
• Harvesting Peanuts
• Storing Peanuts and/or Freezing Peanuts
• Pests & Diseases
• YOUR Advice, Experiences and Photos

Growing Peanuts: Planting the Seed

Peanuts must be planted after all danger of frost has passed and must grow and develop under the ground in a sandy, loamy and well-drained soil for around 140 days. Make sure your weather will cooperate and that you have the required soil type before planting peanut seed.

They also prefer soil rich in calcium which can be added to your garden by applying gypsum.

To plant peanuts, sow the seeds three to five inches (8 to 13 cm) deep and seven inches (18 cm) apart. Water the planting area well.

Growing Peanuts: From Germination to Pre-Harvest

Do not water your peanut garden again until the seeds begin to sprout. After a while, you will see flowers begin to develop along with the peanut pods. Soon thereafter, the flowers’ pedals will fall off and the stem and peanut pods will bend over and bury themselves in the soil.

Keep the soil moist throughout the peanut plant’s growing cycle, but do not give peanuts too much water. Keep garden weeds at bay to prevent them from affecting the growth of the plants.

Growing Peanuts: Harvesting Time

You will know it’s time to harvest peanuts when the foliage of the plant begins to turn yellow. When it does, you can dig up several peanuts to find out if they are ripe (they should have dry skin and feel firm to the touch).

If the peanuts are not ready but look like they’re getting close, continue to check the plant and test the nuts every few days. It takes up to 140 days from the time the plant sprouts until peanuts are ready to harvest, but start checking about 120 days in.

When they’re ready, remove the peanut plants from the ground, brush off the excess soil and cure in the sun for a few days. Once they’ve dried up a bid, remove the peanuts and continue to cure them in the sun (don’t leave them out in the rain) for a few weeks until fully dry.

Storing Peanuts and Freezing Peanuts

Peanuts may be stored in a place that is dry and cool for up to two months. Many people keep freshly harvested peanuts in their refrigerator, but experience has taught us that the humidity in that environment can play havoc with the condition of the peanut.

Peanuts can be successfully frozen raw or boiled. Simply place cleaned peanuts in a plastic bag and they can stay frozen for up to three years.

Growing Peanuts: Pests & Diseases

The following pests and diseases have been known to affect the success of growing Peanuts. For more information about preventing and controlling them, see Organic Garden Pest Control.

Pests

Beet armyworm Black cutworm Celvetthea caterpillar Corn armyworm Cowpea aphid Fall armyworm

Grannulate cutworm Green cloverworm Lesser cornstalk borer Potato leafhopper

Southern corn rootworm Spotted Cucumber beetle Tobacco thripsTwospotted spider mite Wireworm

Diseases

Alternaria leaf blight Alternaria leaf spot Alternaria spot and veinal necrosis Anthracnose Aspergillis crown rot Bacterial wilt Blackhull Botrytis blight Charcoal rot Choanephora leaf spot Collar rot Colletotrichum leaf spot

Cylindrocladium black rot Cylindrocladium leaf spot Damping off Damping-off, Aspergillus Fusarium peg and root rot Fusarium wilt Leaf spot, early Macrophomina leaf spot Melanosis Pod rot

Powdery mildew Pythium wilt Rhizoctonia foliar blight Rust Scab Stem rot Verticillum wilt Yellow mold Zonate leaf spot

YOUR Experience & Advice About Growing Peanuts

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