Peanut

Arachis hypogaea · Pea family (Fabaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	5 to 11
Sun	full sun
Water	moderate
Life cycle	annual
Frost	Tender: killed by frost
Soil pH	5.8–6.2
Spacing	4 to 18 inches
Days to harvest	90 to 150 days
Soil temperature to plant	at least 65°F

About Peanut

Peanuts are a low, bushy South American legume with an odd habit: after a flower is pollinated, a stalk called a peg pushes into the soil, and the pod forms underground. Home gardeners grow four types: big-podded Virginia, small Spanish, flavorful Runner, and Valencia with 3 to 5 red-skinned seeds per pod. They need a long, warm season and loose, calcium-rich soil.

Grown as a warm-season annual; what matters is season length: at least 110 to 120 frost-free days. That is easy in the South; in short northern seasons choose fast Valencia or Spanish types (Utah, Wisconsin and Canadian gardens have grown them).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Sow seeds outdoors: up to 4 weeks after the last frost

Days count from seeding: about 90 to 110 days for green boiling peanuts (Valencias as early as 75) and 130 to 155 days for dry roasting peanuts. Sow raw peanuts (in the shell or shelled) 1 to 3 inches deep once soil is above 65F, around the last frost or a few weeks after; North and Central Florida plant March to May, and in South Carolina early May is ideal.

Soil

Loose, light sandy loam with good calcium in the top 6 inches, so pegs can push in and pods can be dug.

Test soil in fall and aim for pH about 5.8 to 6.2, working in lime 2 to 3 months before planting; add phosphorus and potash the fall before as the test says, and gypsum if calcium is low.

Feeding

About a month after planting, only for plants grown without inoculant: fertilizer as your soil test recommends. Utah State suggests feeding uninoculated peanuts at planting and again a month later, following the soil test; broadcast it and water in.
If plants turn yellow because the inoculant failed: nitrogen fertilizer such as 34-0-0. Clemson suggests 3 to 4 lb per 1,000 sq ft, spread evenly rather than over the row.
Just after the plants bloom: agricultural gypsum (calcium). UF/IFAS suggests spreading gypsum beside the row right after bloom so the developing pods get calcium; Clemson advises it where a soil test shows low calcium.

Too much potash near the pods blocks calcium and gives empty pods; don't hoe under the plants once pegs go into the soil, and stop watering 10 to 14 days before harvest.

Harvest

Dig a few test plants starting 2 to 3 weeks before the expected date. For roasting, harvest when most pods are dark inside the hull and the seed coats have turned pink to copper-red, or when leaves yellow in fall. Loosen the soil with a fork, lift and shake the plants, and dry them roots-up before pulling the pods.

The whole plant is dug once: as early as 75 days for Valencias to boil green, or about 130 to 155 days for dry roasting peanuts. Dig a few test plants first.

Varieties (33)

Variety	Type	Days	Notes
AT 215	Runner		One of the earlier-maturing runner types (most runners take 125 to 165 days).
C-99R	Runner		Spreading plants; 2 small seeds per pod with excellent flavor; the usual peanut-butter type.
Florida 07	Runner		Spreading plants; 2 small seeds per pod with excellent flavor; the usual peanut-butter type.
Florunner	Runner	135 days	Florida's commercial runner type; UF/IFAS rates it good for home gardens.
Georgia 06G	Runner		Spreading plants; 2 small seeds per pod with excellent flavor; the usual peanut-butter type.
Georgia 07W	Runner		Spreading plants; 2 small seeds per pod with excellent flavor; the usual peanut-butter type.
Georgia Green	Runner		Spreading plants; 2 small seeds per pod with excellent flavor; the usual peanut-butter type.
Sunrunner	Runner	135 days	Runner type that UF/IFAS rates good for home gardens.
TUFRunner 297	Runner		Spreading plants; 2 small seeds per pod with excellent flavor; the usual peanut-butter type.
TUFRunner 511	Runner		Spreading plants; 2 small seeds per pod with excellent flavor; the usual peanut-butter type.
Early Spanish	Spanish	105 days	Small kernels, 2 or 3 per pod, high in oil; upright, compact and heavy yielding.
Improved Spanish	Spanish	115 days	Early-bearing bunch type with larger kernels, 1 or 2 per pod; yields more than Spanish.
Sancross	Spanish		Small-kerneled Spanish type suggested by UF/IFAS.
Spanish	Spanish	110 days	Small kernels, 2 or 3 per pod, on compact upright plants; fast growing and heavy bearing.
Star	Spanish	120 days	Small-kerneled Spanish type.
Tamnut 74	Spanish		Small-kerneled Spanish type suggested by UF/IFAS.
Tifspan	Spanish		Small-kerneled Spanish type suggested by UF/IFAS.
Georgia Red	Valencia		3 to 5 small seeds per pod with red seed coats; often boiled.
Georgia Valencia	Valencia		3 to 5 small seeds per pod with red seed coats; often boiled.
New Mexico Valencia A	Valencia		3 to 5 small seeds per pod with red seed coats; often boiled.
New Mexico Valencia C	Valencia		3 to 5 small seeds per pod with red seed coats; often boiled.
Valencia Tennessee Red	Valencia	110 days	Long pods with 2 to 5 kernels; easy to grow and a heavy yielder.
Bailey	Virginia		Large 'ballpark' pods; Clemson rates Virginia types the best all-around peanut for boiling and roasting.
Champs	Virginia		Large 'ballpark' pods; Clemson rates Virginia types the best all-around peanut for boiling and roasting.
Florigiant	Virginia	135 days	Large seeds, well suited to roasting.
Gregory	Virginia		Large 'ballpark' pods; Clemson rates Virginia types the best all-around peanut for boiling and roasting.
Improved Virginia	Virginia	135 days	Large pods with 1 or 2 kernels; bush type about 18 in tall.
Jumbo (Mammoth Jumbo)	Virginia	135 days	Large pods that shell easily; easy to grow and harvest.
Sugg	Virginia		Large 'ballpark' pods; Clemson rates Virginia types the best all-around peanut for boiling and roasting.
Sullivan	Virginia		Large 'ballpark' pods; Clemson rates Virginia types the best all-around peanut for boiling and roasting.
Virginia Jumbo	Virginia	135 days	Large kernels; spreading vines about 18 in tall and 3.5 ft across.
Wynne	Virginia		Large 'ballpark' pods; Clemson rates Virginia types the best all-around peanut for boiling and roasting.
Carolina Black		110 days	Sweet-tasting black skins. Rare heirloom; kernels a bit larger than Spanish, 2 per pod.

Pests to watch for

Wireworms, Cutworms, Aphids, Thrips, Corn earworm (tomato fruitworm), Mice (house mice and deer mice)

Diseases and problems

Leaf spot, Tomato spotted wilt, Rust, Pod rot, Alfalfa mosaic

In the kitchen

Boil freshly dug green peanuts in the shell, or cure and roast them; runner types are the classic peanut-butter peanut.

Keeping it: Cure in-shell peanuts for a few weeks, then keep them in loosely woven bags hung in a cool, dry, rodent-proof spot for several months (Clemson), or at 35-40F (Utah State).

Safety: Peanut allergy is a food allergy, and food allergy reactions can be severe or life-threatening (NIH NIAID); keep homegrown peanuts away from anyone with a peanut allergy. Throw out moldy or diseased nuts, and cure and store peanuts dry so mold can't grow (Clemson, Utah State).

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA

Sources

Photo: Photo: H. Zell / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.