🔹 Step 3: Planting the Peanuts
1️⃣ Soak the seeds overnight in water for faster germination (optional).
2️⃣ Plant peanuts 1–2 inches deep, spacing them 6–8 inches apart.
3️⃣ Rows should be 18–24 inches apart to allow for spreading.
4️⃣ Lightly cover with loose soil and water gently.
📌 Tip: Keep the soil moist but not soggy during germination. Seeds will sprout in 7–10 days.
🔹 Step 4: Caring for Your Peanut Plants
☀️ Sunlight Requirements:
✔ Peanuts need full sun (at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily).
💧 Watering:
✔ Keep soil moist but not waterlogged.
✔ Reduce watering once flowers appear.
🌱 Mulching:
✔ Apply a light layer of mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
✔ Straw or dry leaves work well.
🔹 Step 5: Flowering and Pegging
✅ After about 30–40 days, peanut plants will flower.
✅ The flowers then produce “pegs”, which grow downward into the soil to form peanuts.
✅ Mound soil around the base of the plants (like with potatoes) to encourage pegging.
📌 Important: Avoid disturbing the soil around the pegs as they develop.
🔹 Step 6: Harvesting Peanuts
✔ Peanuts mature in 4–5 months.
✔ When the leaves start yellowing, check a few pods.
✔ Carefully dig around the plant using a garden fork.
✔ Pull up the entire plant and shake off excess soil.
✔ Let the peanuts dry in a warm, airy place for 2–3 weeks.
