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Peanuts, also called groundnuts, have the highest protein of any fruit or vegetable, and they’re high in fibre and also free of cholesterol. Although they aren’t real nuts at all. Peanuts are the fruit of a legume, meaning they’re in the pea and bean family and they’re annuals so the plant only lasts one season. It’s surprisingly easy to grow peanuts in tropical through to warm temperate climates, and even in pots, so give it try!
Archeologists working on the mountain slopes of Brazil and Peru have discovered evidence of peanut farming dating back an amazing 7,600 years. In the USA, peanuts were mostly grown as animal fodder crops until the early 20th century. Peanuts were introduced into China about 400 years ago and they’ve become an important part of Chinese cooking, usually after being boiled. Peanut farming was introduced into Queensland, Australia, during the 1870s gold rush by Chinese migrants and they’re still widely grown around the South Burnett in its rich, open volcanic soils.
Growing peanuts. Photo by Jing
A peanut bush is about 50cm (20 inches) high and 1 metre (40 inches) wide. They bear small, yellow, pea-like flowers about one month after sowing. The flowers are self pollinating, and once that’s happened, the flowers quickly fade and shrivel. The ovary base inside the flower then begins to elongate into a long ‘peg’ shape, bending the whole flower stem downwards until it can poke its head into the soil. How weird is that?!
Peanut flower, Arachis hypogaea. Photo H. Zell
This below ground pod growth explains the plant’s botanical name Arachis hypogaea, as ‘hypogaea’ means ‘under the soil’. It takes about 10 days for the peg to reach the soil and push down under the soil surface. The tip of the peg then enlarges and turns horizontal, developing into a pod containing one to three kernels – or peanuts! This takes around 10-15 weeks.
Peanut, Arachis hypogaea, showing the elongating ‘peg’. Photo by H.Zell
Peanut, Arachis hypogaea, growing in a pot. Photo H.Zell
Peanuts are a subtropical legume crop and need warm temperatures, frost-free conditions and plenty of water – about 500-600mm (18-24 inches) of rain or irrigation during their growing period. The good news is that they’re not too fussy about soil type or pH, as long as the drainage is OK. A very heavy clay soil will probably stay too wet, so you can plant in a wide pot or a raised bed. You should also check that there’s not lots of stones in the soil which can get in the way of the pods developing.
Peanuts are sown in spring to early summer in warm temperate to subtropical areas. In Australia, that’s from September to early January, but in tropical areas it’s best to wait until the dry season, from about April on. They’ve also been grown successfully in Western Australia and South Australia but in colder districts you’ll need to keep them in a pot in the warmest part of your garden.
Triple peanut in shell. Photo by RMT
While you can buy peanut bushes in pots, you can easily grow peanuts from seed if you buy a bag of raw peanuts (not roasted or salted), break them open and sow the kernels (seeds) about 3-5cm (1½ -2 inches) deep. Fresh peanuts are best and handle them very gently to make sure the skin around the seed stays intact; they should then germinate quite quickly in a week or two. And you won’t know what variety you’ve got, so it will be a surprise! As peanuts make a leafy groundcover that shades the soil, they can work well as a companion plant and weed suppressant for other crops, like sweet corn.
There are 3 main types of peanut plants – Virginia, Runner and Spanish. Virginia has large kernels so it’s popular for shell peanuts. Runner have smaller kernels and are used in cooking and making peanut butter. ‘Spanish’ types mature more quickly and will cope with heavier soils and are often used to make peanut butter and peanut oil, as they have a higher oil content. Some cultivars are better at resisting fungal diseases which can spoil the fruit.
Smooth peanut butter/paste
There’s an odd thing about peanuts – the developing nuts take their calcium directly from the soil, not through the plant’s roots. So you’ll need to add calcium in the form of gypsum or dolomite just before flowering to make sure the pods develop properly. And don’t forget that peanuts needs plenty of water at every stage – through germination, flowering, pegging and pod enlargement. If they dry out it makes them more susceptible to alfatoxin, produced by the Aspergillus flavus fungus.
So how do you know when to dig up your peanuts? The clue is to watch for when the leaves start to turn brown, in late summer to early autumn/fall as the plant starting to die back is the sign that its fruit is mature. Dig up one or two and check for dark coloured pods inside the shell and that the peanuts have changed from a pinky colour to a golden colour. They should be ready to dig up 140-155 days after sowing.
Peanut leaves and freshly dug pods Photo by Pollinator
To harvest your peanuts, you then need to dig up the whole peanut bush, shake off all the dirt and hang it upside down (so the peanuts are now at the top) to dry in a warm, dry place, like in the garage or garden shed. Once they’ve lost about 2/3rds of their moisture after 3-4 days, the stems become brittle, and you can break off the peanut pods, wash off any dirt and, if you like your peanuts raw, eat them! If you prefer roasted peanuts, spread them out on an oven tray and roast them at 160 degrees C (320º F) for 15-20 minutes if they’re already shelled, or for 20-25 minutes if they’re still in their shells.
Harvested peanuts. Photo by Bre Not the Cheese
So sadly, you can’t keep your peanut bush as it’s a totally destructive harvest method, but make sure to keep some raw peanuts to germinate for your next crop! Commercial peanut growers find the soil becomes depleted after peanut growing, so they rotate it with other crops.
Peanuts are a high energy food but release that slowly over several hours because of their high unsaturated fat content, and are high in niacin, vitamin E, folic acid and anti-oxidants, making them an ideal food.
Eat your peanuts raw or roasted, make your own peanut butter, use them boiled in Chinese dishes, or mix them up with chilli for a spicy sauce to go with south-east Asian satay. YUM!
Satay and peanut sauce Photo by avlxyz
Growing peanuts is a great gardening activity for kids – assuming they don’t have a peanut allergy. The seeds are large, they germinate quickly, the peanut bush doesn’t mind being watered a lot, and there’s the fun of watching the peg elongate and reach the soil and then the getting dirty and digging them up a few months later.
Storing peanuts – peanuts can become contaminated with alfatoxin if they are not stored properly in a cool (under 30ºC/ 85ºF), dry environment, so you should consume your harvested peanuts as soon as possible.
Sadly, peanut allergies have become increasingly common in developed countries, with severe reactions causing anaphylactic shock and even death. The latest research into this is finding correlations between the allergy and roasting peanuts (which is more popular in western countries) rather than eating them boiled or raw. There is also an association with changes in gut flora, perhaps brought about by increased hygiene and also concerned parents giving their children a later and low-dose introduction to peanuts which tends to create sensitivity rather than tolerance.
[NOTE – as with all home-grown vegetables, if you live in the city you should have your soil tested for heavy metals and toxic pesticide residues before you grow any food in it]
Hi Marianne, Am going to try growing peanuts at Seymour in Central Victoria as a rotational crop after Garlic. What variety would you suggest?
David Lewis.
Just got some Spanish Reds from the farmers market, love ’em & haven’t seen them for years. Going to give them a go in SE Qld after reading your info. Thanks
Wonderfully helpful and easily understandable thank you
Wonderful article, enjoying it from Jamaica
Great Andrew,
glad you enjoyed it.
regards
Marianne
Great info!¡ thanks
Hello David,
There are four types of peanuts; Runner, Spanish, Virginia and Valencia. Runner is famous for making peanut butter. Spanish peanuts are known for their small size which is ideal for use as roasted snacks. Virginia has the biggest kernels while Valencia kernels are covered with bright red skin and are known for their sweetness. Simply select the type that you like the most. Keep in mind the size, texture, flavour and also the use.
I’ve heard of gardeners growing Virginia Peanuts in Melbourne, so if you can get that variety, give them a go.
regards
Marianne
Thank you Marianne..this is my first go at growing peanuts..nearly ready to harvest …information clear and easy to follow…brilliant….Jeff
Good to hear Jeff. Thanks for your feedback
good information thanks, I placed some raw nuts in water for two days then planted them and some additional dry nuts in separate pots.. The pre- soaked ones have came up whilst the dry ones two weeks later have now began to shoot.As I am interested in trying to grow peanuts I soused your article and now will follow your guideline for my experiment. again thank you for valuable information. kind regards,.Neil
Marianne ,
How easy is that…or do you make it sound easier than it is 😉
Very helpful and easy to understand, but can you explain in laymans terms how much water per day?
Also how many nuts can I expect off each plant?
cheers
w
Hello Wayne,
growing peanuts is easy.
Each plant will produce between 25-50 peanuts.
Water your peanut plant when the soil appears to start drying out. You may need to water up to two to four times weekly, depending upon your local weather conditions and rainfall amounts.
regards
Marianne
I love peanuts roasted and wondered if I could grow my own. Thanks for the instructions. I have never known of peanuts being grown in St. Helena Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The island imports peanuts but we never grow them.
Hi Marianne, great information and you presented it wonderfully well. Thank you very much!
Thank you Zsuzsanna, glad you enjoyed it.
A very beautiful article, easy to understand.
Please kindly help me with names and kennel picture of different varieties of groundnut. Thanks