Peanuts

[ClissAT]

Many months ago I planted a peanut plant just as an experiment.
I posted about it but cant remember the thread so I have started this new thread.
The plant grew very well, all things considered.
It flowered quickly & soon I had young peanuts poking down into the soil (or rather into the potting mix & compost since I planted it in one of my bathtub beds.)
I excavated the young peanuts before rats could discover them. Also I left a few to see whether or not they were eaten by rodents.
It seemed the rodents didn't find them so I began leaving the young nuts to mature longer.
The very young nuts were very nice but I wanted a bigger nut! lol
I knew rain was the enemy of peanuts & there were a few rain episodes where it looked like the plant might die but each time it came back & flowered again.
I had excavated under the plant to remove all nuts so they didn't rot. The plant didn't seem to be bothered by the root disturbance.
However the first cool night a few weeks back seemed to herald the end of it. Maybe it was that time of year for it anyway.
I mulched around it to cover the last developing nuts & finally dug them up today.
I knew I had to get them out of the soil before they succumbed to moisture as peanuts are very prone to developing mould from moisture.
Tonight I had a tasty entrée of fresh young peanuts.
I also found 3 that had shot so I will put them back in new places in other bathtub beds tomorrow.
Unfortunately I never took any photos.

 

[e89wok]

I think you'd have to have some machinery to dig them up. If you didn't, I'm not sure the deer could get to them. The hogs could, though!

 

[ClissAT]

I think you'd have to have some machinery to dig them up. If you didn't, I'm not sure the deer could get to them. The hogs could, though!

Why would you want to let the deer get the peanuts?
Sorry I don't get your meaning.
I planted them in potting mix in an above ground bathtub bed, so no need for machinery!
There are no deer here in civilized south east Queensland.
Nor any hogs for that matter!
That also goes for the premier commercial peanut growing country at Kingaroy.

 

[Kasalia]

I grew a bed of peanuts years ago, just to see if I could. Easy to grow, bit like potatoes and the room they take, chose potatoes this year. Everyone should try once it is amazing how many there are.

 

[Janine]

Without moving to Kingaroy, can I get a peanut sapling? Seedling? Runner? What are baby peanut plants called?!
Anyway here in South Oz.. Where can I find some to play with.. .

 

[AndrewB]

You should be able to use raw peanuts from the supermarket- the ones with the shell you need to crack open.

I think I'll give them a go in spring when it starts to warm up again.

 

[Janine]

Oohhb cracked nuts in the garden as well as in my home. . Neighborhood is going to pot now!
Did we ever figure out what a baby peanut plant is called? Does it need a bed of cotton or mulch? Pillow? Doona or straw?

 

[AndrewB]

Mark has a video about them:

 

[Janine]

Thanks
Nodes and tendrils. .
Must admit I was waiting for him to say April Fools Day! Hsha

 

[Letsgokate]

Well done, I want to grow peanuts at some point.

 

[Jenny]

I also grew peanuts for the first time last summer, in a container. Imo it was a major fail though, because even though the plants had lots of foliage and flowers, only a few tendrils (dont know if that is the correct term - the pointy part that goes into the soil) formed, so I only managed to harvest a handful of peanuts in total from about 8 plants. Perhaps my expectation of harvesting lots of peanuts from only 8 plants, was a bit unrealistic?

 

[ClissAT]

No, I think you are right to have high expectations of a big crop, Jenny.
There should have been masses of nuts hanging off.
Or you can excavate around the plant without disturbing it too much for most of the growing season to get nuts as they mature.
Any fruiting plant needs heaps of potassium to form fruit and there often is not enough in domestic potting mix or fertilizer.
It is cheap to buy a 500ml bottle of potassium (K) and you only need a teaspoon in a 1 litre hand spray bottle to foliar apply right before flowering then as fruit develops.
Don't give up Jenny, try the K spray next season.
I planted peanuts again recently but the critters dug them up straight away!

 

[Jenny]

No, I think you are right to have high expectations of a big crop, Jenny.
There should have been masses of nuts hanging off.
Or you can excavate around the plant without disturbing it too much for most of the growing season to get nuts as they mature.
Any fruiting plant needs heaps of potassium to form fruit and there often is not enough in domestic potting mix or fertilizer.
It is cheap to buy a 500ml bottle of potassium (K) and you only need a teaspoon in a 1 litre hand spray bottle to foliar apply right before flowering then as fruit develops.
Don't give up Jenny, try the K spray next season.
I planted peanuts again recently but the critters dug them up straight away!

To be honest, I did not give the peanut plants potassium or any fertilizers - so what you are saying makes sense. I think I will give that a try next time.

 

[Mark]

Homegrown peanuts are worth trying but they do need maintenance because weeds easily grow through the spindly stems and this makes them difficult to pull without ripping our peanuts. I recommend growing them in a fresh bed or perhaps a container with a new medium.

If you can get a pot full there's nothing quite like freshly boiled (with plenty of salt water) homegrown peanuts - oh wow - it takes me back to my childhood every time