Peanut plants, a legume often mistaken for a nut, offer a rewarding experience for Texas home gardeners. The state’s warm climate and expansive agricultural history make it an established region for growing Arachis hypogaea. Peanuts grow uniquely, with flowers developing above ground and the actual pods forming beneath the soil. This guide provides a detailed approach to growing peanuts, leveraging the favorable conditions found across Texas.
Selecting Varieties and Preparing Texas Soil
Texas is the only state that successfully grows all four major peanut types, offering home growers flexibility in selection. Spanish varieties are a popular choice for their fast maturity, often requiring only 120 days. Runner peanuts, while the standard for commercial peanut butter production, and Virginia types, known for their large kernels, are also viable options for gardeners. Valencia peanuts mature quickly, sometimes in as little as 90 to 110 days, and are recognized for their sweet flavor, typically yielding three or more kernels per pod.
Successful peanut growth depends heavily on soil texture that allows the developing pods to penetrate the earth easily. The ground must be loose, sandy loam, which is a mix of sand, silt, and clay that drains well. Proper soil preparation involves tilling the area to a depth of at least eight to twelve inches to ensure a soft environment for pod development.
Peanuts are legumes, capable of fixing nitrogen into the soil, so they generally do not require heavy nitrogen fertilization. The soil’s pH level should ideally fall between 5.8 and 6.5 for optimal nutrient uptake and plant health. Before planting, conducting a soil test can help determine if any amendments are necessary.
Optimal Planting Techniques and Timing
The precise timing of planting is directly linked to soil temperature, which dictates successful germination in the Texas climate. Peanuts are a warm-season crop, and seeds should only be placed in the ground once the soil temperature consistently reaches 65°F at a four-inch depth. Many experienced growers prefer to wait until the temperature is closer to 68°F for three consecutive days to ensure rapid emergence and reduce the risk of seed rot.
This temperature requirement typically translates to a planting window from late April through early June across most of the state. Planting the shelled, raw seeds about 1.5 to 2 inches deep provides adequate protection and moisture access for germination. Seeds should be spaced approximately five to six inches apart in rows, with rows themselves spaced at least two feet apart.
This specific spacing allows individual plants enough room to establish their root systems. After planting, the seeds usually sprout and emerge from the soil surface within seven to fourteen days.
Ongoing Care and Water Management
Once the peanut seedlings have emerged, attention must shift to weed control and the plant’s unusual reproductive cycle. Weeds compete directly with peanuts for water and nutrients. Cultivation must be shallow to avoid disturbing the developing root zone. Deep tilling or aggressive weeding can damage the delicate structures forming just beneath the soil surface.
The peanut plant flowers above ground, producing small yellow blooms about 40 days after planting, which self-pollinate. Following pollination, a structure called a “peg” develops from the flower’s base, growing downward toward the soil. This peg must successfully penetrate the loose soil, as the tip contains the ovary that will swell and form the actual peanut pod underground.
To facilitate this crucial pegging process, it is beneficial to gently hill loose soil or sand around the base of the plant once the flowers appear. Water management is particularly important during the Texas summer heat, especially from the flowering stage through pod-filling (approximately 40 to 110 days after planting). During this period, the plants require consistent moisture, often needing 1.5 to 2 inches of water per week.
Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are excellent methods for delivering water directly to the root zone while keeping the foliage dry, which helps prevent fungal diseases. Allowing the soil to dry out significantly during the pegging and pod-filling stages can severely reduce the final yield. As the plants approach maturity late in the season, water should be reduced.
Knowing When and How to Harvest
The peanut growth cycle typically spans 120 to 150 days, and visual cues indicate when the underground pods are ready to be lifted. The most reliable sign of maturity is when the foliage begins to turn yellow and the leaves start to wilt or droop. About ten days before the anticipated harvest, all irrigation should stop to allow the pods to harden and prevent mold development.
Harvesting involves carefully digging up the entire plant, as the peanut pods remain attached to the roots. A garden fork is useful for gently lifting the plant and its attached pods from the soil. Once the plant is out of the ground, shake off any large clumps of dirt, keeping the pods attached to the vine.
The peanuts must then undergo a curing process to reduce their moisture content and develop their characteristic flavor. The entire plants, with pods attached, should be inverted—peanuts facing up, leaves down—and allowed to dry in a warm, sheltered location for one to two weeks. This initial drying should occur in a place with good air circulation, such as a garage or shed. After this period, the pods can be removed from the vines and dried further until the kernels reach a final moisture content of around 8 to 10 percent for long-term storage.