The peanut is a unique legume that produces its edible seed pods underground, a process known as “pegging.” Flowers bloom above the soil, and once pollinated, a stalk called a peg elongates, pushes into the earth, and develops the pod beneath the surface. Because yield depends entirely on this underground development, the distance between plants and rows is the most significant factor determining successful growth and harvest size.
General Spacing Guidelines
The standard advice for planting peanuts involves addressing two separate measurements: the distance between individual seeds and the distance between the rows they are planted in. For most home gardens and general field applications, a row spacing of 3 to 4 feet is commonly utilized. This wide separation allows for adequate sunlight penetration, air circulation, and room for the vines to spread out later in the season.
Within the row itself, the seeds are typically planted much closer, generally spaced 4 to 6 inches apart. This in-row distance is critical to achieve a dense enough plant population to maximize the yield per linear foot of row. Seeds should be placed about 1 to 2 inches deep in the soil, which should be loose and well-drained to allow the pegs to penetrate easily. Achieving a final population of approximately four plants per foot of row is often considered the baseline for a high-yielding stand.
The peanut plant requires a significant amount of horizontal space for the pegs to successfully enter the soil and develop the pods. Planting too close together can cause the developing pods to interfere with one another, while planting too far apart wastes valuable growing area.
Adjusting Spacing for Specific Peanut Varieties
Peanut varieties are broadly categorized by their growth habit, which dictates adjustments to the standard spacing. Spreading types, such as the Runner and Virginia varieties, are characterized by expansive vines that grow outward, covering a large area of the ground. These cultivars require more space to accommodate their wider spread and ensure that the maximum number of pegs can successfully reach the soil.
For these spreading varieties, it is often recommended to use the wider row spacing, typically 36 inches or more between rows. This distance allows the vines to meet in the middle, forming a dense canopy while still providing enough room for peg penetration and development.
Bunch types, which include Spanish and Valencia varieties, have a more upright, compact, or bushy growth habit. Since they do not vine out as extensively, they can be planted closer together. Bunch varieties perform well with narrower row spacings, sometimes as close as 24 inches apart, which increases the overall plant density per area. Spanish varieties are sometimes planted more densely within the row, aiming for five or six plants per foot, to compensate for their smaller size.
Consequences of Improper Planting Distance
Deviating from the recommended planting distances can lead to significant reductions in both yield and crop health. Planting seeds too closely together results in intense competition for limited resources, including soil nutrients and water. This resource scarcity causes the plants to be stunted, resulting in fewer and smaller peanut pods at harvest.
Excessive density also severely restricts air circulation around the plants, creating a humid microclimate within the canopy. This poor air movement dramatically increases the risk of fungal diseases, such as leaf spot, which thrive in moist conditions and can quickly defoliate the crop.
Conversely, planting the rows too far apart leaves large gaps of unused space, which significantly reduces the total yield harvested per acre. When the plants are spaced too far apart, they fail to form a continuous canopy, which is a natural mechanism for suppressing weed growth by blocking sunlight. The resulting increase in weed pressure further competes with the peanut plants for resources. Overly dense planting can also interfere with the mechanical harvest, as the machinery used for digging and inverting the plants requires precise row alignment and a defined space to operate efficiently.