How to plant peanut

 Planting peanuts (also known as groundnuts) is fun and surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it! Unlike most plants, peanuts flower above ground but develop their pods underground. Here's a full step-by-step guide to growing them:

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🥜 How to Plant Peanuts (Groundnuts)

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🗓️ 1. Best Planting Time

• Warm season crop: Needs at least 4–5 months of warm weather.

• In tropical areas like the Philippines:
  ✅ Plant from February to April (dry season is best).

🌡️ Soil temp should be above 21°C (70°F) for best germination.

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📍 2. Site & Soil Preparation

• Choose a spot with:

  • Full sun (6–8+ hours/day)

  • Loose, sandy loam soil that drains well

• Avoid heavy clay or soggy soil — peanuts need to push their pegs into the ground!

💡 Soil pH: 5.8 to 6.5 is ideal.

• Loosen the soil to 6–8 inches deep and add compost or well-rotted manure.

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🌱 3. Prepare Your Seeds

• Use raw, untreated peanut seeds (in-shell or shelled).

• You can plant them with or without the shell, but if using shelled seeds, handle gently to avoid damaging the seed coat.

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🌾 4. Planting

• Sow seeds 1–2 inches deep, spacing:

  • 8–10 inches apart within rows

  • 24–36 inches between rows

✅ Water well after planting, and keep the soil moist but not soggy.

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🌱 5. Growing & Care

• Peanuts bloom after about 30 days. Yellow flowers form above ground, then send “pegs” (stems) into the soil, where the pods develop.

• Keep soil loose and weed-free to help pegs penetrate.

🔁 Hill up soil around the base of the plant gently once flowering starts.

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💧 6. Watering

• Keep soil evenly moist during early growth and flowering.

• Reduce watering during the final weeks before harvest to avoid rotting pods.

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🐛 7. Pest & Disease Watch

• Watch out for:

  • Aphids, armyworms, leaf spot, and root rot

• Use neem oil, crop rotation, and healthy spacing for disease prevention.

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🧺 8. Harvesting

• Harvest in 90–120 days (3–4 months) depending on the variety.

• Signs they’re ready:

  • Leaves begin to yellow

  • Inner shells are filled and brown

• Gently pull up the whole plant, shake off soil, and air-dry the pods for a few days under shade.

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🌟 Bonus Tips

• Companion plants: Corn, okra, and beans go well with peanuts.

• You can grow peanuts in large containers too — just use loose soil and give them room to grow down.