How to Grow Peanuts

Season math by region

In the South, peanuts are a mainstream garden crop: Clemson plants from April to late June, ideally the first week of May, with germination best in soil between 68 and 95°F. Green peanuts for boiling are ready 90 to 110 days after planting; dry roasting peanuts need 130 to 150.

In the North the crop is possible but tight. Iowa State's guidance: a minimum of 120 frost-free days, soil at 65°F before sowing, and earlier-maturing selections (Spanish types among the recommended choices) rather than the big late Virginia runners.

Everywhere, the site matters more than the feeding: loose, sandy, well-drained soil, full sun, and a pH around 5.8 to 6.2. Heavy, crusting clay is the one soil peanuts genuinely fail in, because the pods must form in the ground.

Pegging: the interesting bit

Peanuts flower above ground but fruit below it. After a flower self-pollinates, a stalk called a peg elongates and pushes the ovary of the flower down into the soil to a depth of 1 or 2 inches — Iowa State says it takes about 10 days for the peg to reach the soil, and about a week after penetration the tip enlarges and the pod and seeds begin developing, maturing over roughly 9 to 10 weeks.

Everything about mid-season care serves the pegs. Keep the soil surface around plants loose and free of crust so pegs can enter, keep moisture steady through the pegging and pod-fill weeks, and avoid deep cultivation near plants that would tear pegs off.

Calcium reaches the developing pods directly from the soil around them, which is why soil-applied gypsum is the fix where a soil test shows deficiency — Clemson notes foliar calcium is not effective for peanuts, and large-podded Virginia types need the most.

Harvest and curing

Dig when the foliage yellows in late summer or fall — for roasting types, Clemson's marker is when at least 65 percent of pods have turned dark on the inside of the hull. Lift whole plants with a fork on a dry day, shake off soil, and leave the pods attached.

Curing is not optional: freshly dug peanuts are wet and will mold in storage. Iowa State hangs plants in a warm, dry spot for one to two weeks, then removes pods and air-dries them another one to two weeks; Clemson dries inverted plants about a week and then cures pulled pods two to three weeks more in a cool, dry place.

Once shells are brittle and dry, store pods in mesh bags somewhere cool and ventilated — then roast or boil as the variety intends.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC — Peanut — Green boiling peanuts ready 90-110 days after planting, dry roasting types 130-150 days; plant April to late June (ideally first week of May), germination best at 68-95°F; sow 2-3 inches deep in sandy soils, 1.5-2 inches in clay; pH 5.8-6.2; after flowering a peg elongates and pushes the ovary 1-2 inches into the soil; apply gypsum if soil calcium is deficient — foliar calcium is not effective; harvest roasting types when at least 65% of pods are dark inside the hull; dry inverted plants about a week, then cure pods two to three weeks.
• Iowa State University Extension (Yard and Garden) — Peanuts — Peanuts need a minimum of 120 frost-free days; soil must reach 65°F to germinate; sow 1 to 1.5 inches deep, 6-8 inches apart, after frost danger; flowering begins 30-40 days after emergence; the peg takes about 10 days to penetrate the soil and pods mature in roughly 9-10 weeks; dig when foliage yellows, hang plants in a warm dry place 1-2 weeks, then remove pods and air-dry 1-2 more weeks before storing in mesh bags; prefer loose, well-drained soils.

Keep going