side hustle: how to start a peanut farm

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How to Grow Your Own Peanuts

Peanut Growing and Planting Tips

Try growing peanuts in your garden! Often thought of as just a snack to be munched on at ball games or passed around at cocktail parties, peanuts are actually a healthful and nutritious food.

Whether eaten raw or roasted or spread on bread, peanuts are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals; have no cholesterol; and contain more protein than many meats.

The Peanut Plant
People are often surprised to find out that peanuts are not nuts at all. Actually, they are the seeds of a leguminous plant related to peas and beans.

The peanut plant is unique because its flowers grow aboveground, yet the pods containing the seeds develop in the soil.

The yellow, pea-like blossoms are self-pollinating. Once fertilized, the delicate petals fall away. The stalks (called pegs) just under the ovaries then elongate and bend toward the earth, growing into the soil. When underground, the ovary at the tip of each stalk enlarges to form a peanut pod.

How to Grow Your Own Peanuts
Although better-suited to the warmer climate of the southern U.S., peanuts have been known to grow as far north as southern Canada.

Planting Peanuts

• Peanuts have a long growing season (ranging from 100 to 130 frost-free days); they’re planted a few weeks after the average last frost date in the spring and often dug up anytime after the first of September.

• The trick to raising them in the North is to choose an early-maturing variety such as “Early Spanish” (100 days) and plant on a south-facing slope, if possible. You could also get a head start to the season by sowing peanuts indoors 5 to 8 weeks before transplanting outside.

• It’s important to select a site that receives full sun.

• Plastic row covers are recommended to protect the young plants from spring frosts.

• To grow peanuts, you will actually need to start with fresh, raw, uncooked peanuts still in their shells.

• To start inside, fill a large, four-inch-deep plastic bowl ⅔ full of moist potting soil. Shell four peanuts and place them on top of the soil; then cover with one inch of soil. Plants will sprout quickly. Transplant seedlings outside after the threat of frost has passed

• To plant outside, place the peanut seeds two inches deep and eight inches apart in loose, well-drained soil. (Add sand and aged compost to soil to loosen.)

Caring for Peanut Plants

• When the plants are six inches high, cultivate around them to loosen the soil so that the pegs will penetrate it easily.

• Then, hill them as you would potatoes and mulch with two inches of straw or grass clippings.

• Small, yellow, pea-like flowers will develop along the lower part of the stem. After the flowers fade, the ovaries will swell, start to grow toward the ground, and then push into the soil.

• Peanuts are harvested before frost, when the plant yellows.

• Dig out the entire plant with a spading fork, carefully shake off most of the soil, and then hang to dry indoors for about a month.

• The “nut” can be enjoyed raw or roasted to perfection by baking shelled or unshelled in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.

Did You Know: It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.

Peanuts are thought to have originated in South America, where Peruvian Indians cultivated them at least 3,500 years ago. Besides valuing peanuts as food, the Peruvians considered them a status symbol and even used them as money—which isn’t surprising when you consider how many of us still think that we are working for peanuts.

 

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Seeds go into the ground early in the spring.
From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle of the peanut plant takes about four to five months, or lasts 120 to 160 days. Once planted, seedlings break through the soil in about 10 days and grow to about 18 inches tall. Unlike most plants, the peanut plant flowers above the ground but fruits below ground. (Link to “How Peanuts Grow” page)

When the peanuts are ready for harvest, the farmer uses a digger to loosen the plants, sever the taproot and lift the plant from the soil. The peanut plant is rotated and placed in a “windrow”—with peanuts up and leaves down. They are usually left in windrows for two or three days to cure, or dry. Last, a combine separates the peanuts from the vines and places the peanuts into a hopper. Freshly dug peanuts are placed into peanut wagons and are ready to begin their journey from farm to market.

The peanut’s first stop is a buying point.
Most farmers do not have the time during harvest to continue cleaning and drying their crops. So growers rely on a Peanut Buying Point to receive, weigh, clean, dry, inspect, grade and prepare the peanuts for storage and shelling.

Between 80 and 90 percent of all peanuts go to a shelling processor.
In some areas, a sheller can be the peanut crop’s first stop. After cleaning, drying, inspecting and grading, the peanuts either go to commercial use or are accepted for storage. From the sheller, peanuts can go to a food manufacturer, a peanut processor, a crushing facility in the U.S. or the shelled peanuts can be exported to another country.

About 5 to 10 percent of all peanuts go to seed companies. After processing, these peanuts become next year’s seed.
Roasting processor. These peanuts stay inside the shell and are roasted. The flavors can be original, spicy or sweet. The possibilities are limitless! Roasted peanut are most commonly known as “ballpark” peanuts and show up at sporting events and in stores. Some are exported.

Peanut processor. It’s common for raw peanuts to be delivered to a company that processes the peanuts. These companies set up contracts with various peanut butter companies, confectioners or snack companies, and prepare the peanuts for the food company to use for their products. Peanuts are sorted according to variety, uniformity of size or flavor, and prepared and sold to food manufacturers. These manufacturers make the peanuts into some of our favorite American foods—peanut butter, peanut candies or snacks.

Food manufacturer. Sometimes peanuts are sent to a food manufacturer that has its own peanut processing capabilities. The peanuts are then turned into peanut butter, peanut candy, peanut snacks and other peanut products.

Crushing facility. Raw peanuts are crushed to produce peanut oil or peanut flour. Some peanut oil is sold as is, and some is added to other oils to produce vegetable oil. Crushing facilities also produce peanut meal, which is usually sold for livestock feed.

 

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Peanuts, unlike other common types of nuts that grow on trees, grow underground as pods. Hardiness differs slightly depending on the variety, but in general, peanuts are hardy to U.S.

Department of Agriculture zone 3 and above. Plants need a growing season of 110 to 130 frost-free days to produce a healthy crop. To successfully grow peanuts, choose the variety that suits your area, prepare the garden site and give the plants the care they need to thrive.

Information on How to Grow Peanuts From Seed

The peanut, a member of the legume family native to South America, makes a tasty, protein-rich snack. Peanuts, unlike other common types of nuts that grow on trees, grow underground as pods. Hardiness differs slightly depending on the variety, but in general, peanuts are hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture zone 3 and above. Plants need a growing season of 110 to 130 frost-free days to produce a healthy crop. To successfully grow peanuts, choose the variety that suits your area, prepare the garden site and give the plants the care they need to thrive.

Choose a Variety
Gardeners have four main varieties of peanuts from which to choose. The Jumbo Virginia or Early Virginia variety has the largest nuts of all the types. This is a common roasting variety that needs between 120 and 130 days to produce a crop. Valencia peanuts are sweet and typically roasted or boiled. This variety produces three or more nuts per pod, and it takes between 120 and 130 days to reach maturity. Spanish peanuts are most often used to make peanut butter and candy because of their higher oil content. The Spanish variety produces small nuts with a brownish-red skin. Spanish peanuts need about 90 to 130 days for maturity. Runner peanuts, also called beer nuts, are the variety dominantly produced for commercial sale in the United States. The variety matures in 125 to 165 days.

Site Preparation
Choose a site with light, sandy soil amended with compost and other organic material. Peanuts do not grow well in clay or poor-draining soil. If necessary, work 2 to 4 inches of compost into the soil at a depth of about 6 inches. Rake the site to remove weeds, rocks and other debris.

You may choose to have your soil tested to make amendments for the peanut plants. Ideal soil pH ranges between 5.8 and 6.2. If your soil has a low pH, raise it with a bit of lime. Peanuts also need calcium, so amend the soil with agricultural gypsum if your soil has a lack of the mineral.

Planting
Plant your peanuts after your area's last frost date, when the soil temperature is above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Peanuts will grow if you plant the entire shell, but removing the seeds from the shell speeds germination. Peanuts with cracked seed coats usually won't grow, so it is best not to plant them.

Plant peanuts in mounds, sowing four peanuts in each mound. Sow the peanuts 1 1/2 inches deep and between 6 to 18 inches apart. If you want multiple rows of peanuts, space the rows 24 inches apart. Water thoroughly until the soil feels moist.

Germination usually occurs within five to 10 days, and within 25 to 40 days after sowing, yellow flowers form. Upon flower pollination, plants send pegs down into the soil. The peanuts grow on these pegs underground.

Peanut Plant Care
Peanuts need a bit of care throughout the growing season to produce a good crop. When peanut plants grow to about 1 foot tall, mound 6 inches of soil around the bottom of each plant. This process, called hilling, provides better drainage and more room for peanut pods to grow. Put 3 to 4 inches of compost between peanut plants after hilling.

Often, peanuts bought from nurseries are treated with a nitrogen-fixing bacteria that allows the plants to make their own nitrogen. Such plants do not need extra fertilizer. If your plants were not treated, apply 1 pound of 20-0-0 or 16-16-16 fertilizer for every 100 square feet of peanut plants.

Water peanut plants regularly; 1 to 2 inches of water each week is usually sufficient, except in the hottest weather when plants may need more. If you water irregularly, plants will suffer.

Pests and Weeds
Peanuts grow below ground, protecting them from many insects. Some insects, however, do enjoy nibbling on peanuts and their leaves. Aphids, cut worms, army worms, wire worms and thrips are potential pests. Animals that burrow underground, such as mice, may eat the peanut pods. You may need to apply a pesticide to kill these pests. Setting out traps often deters mice and other large pests.

If weeds are a problem in your garden, apply up to 3 inches of mulch around peanut plants as a protective barrier. The mulch prevents many weeds from growing.

Harvest
When the peanut plant's leaves start to turn yellow, typically around your area's first frost date, it is time to pull them up for harvesting. Leave the peanuts on the plants, and allow them to dry out for one or two weeks. After the initial drying period, pull the peanuts off the plants and place them in shallow trays. Let them dry for two or three weeks more. A humidity level below 70 percent and temperatures under 95 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for drying.

If desired, roast the peanuts in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 13 to 18 minutes. Put the peanuts in an air-tight container and refrigerate them for six to 12 months. Consume unrefrigerated peanuts within four weeks.

 

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https://images.app.goo.gl/jQ9Q1WqeQTFTGt2v5
The peanut is unusual because it flowers above the ground, but fruits below the ground. Typical misconceptions of how peanuts grow place them on trees (like walnuts or pecans) or growing as a part of a root, like potatoes.

Peanut seeds (kernels) grow into a green oval-leafed plant about 18 inches tall which develop delicate flowers around the lower portion of the plant. The flowers pollinate themselves and then lose their petals as the fertilized ovary begins to enlarge. The budding ovary or "peg" grows down away from the plant, forming a small stem, which extends to the soil. The Peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg, which penetrates the soil. The embryo turns horizontal to the soil surface and begins to mature taking the form of peanut. The plant continues to grow and flower, eventually producing some 40 or more mature pods. From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle takes about four to five months, depending on the type or variety. The peanut is a nitrogen-fixing plant; its roots form modules which absorb nitrogen from the air and provides enrichment and nutrition to the plant and soils.

Runners are grown mainly in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma.

• Virginia Peanuts
  
  
  Virginias have the largest kernels and account for most of the peanuts roasted and processed in-the-shell. When shelled, the larger kernels are sold as snack peanuts. Virginia Peanuts are grown mainly in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

• Spanish Peanuts
  Spanish-type peanuts have smaller kernels covered with a reddish-brown skin. They are used predominantly in peanut candies, with significant quantities used for snack nuts and peanut butter. They have a higher oil content than the other types of peanuts which is advantageous when crushing for oil. They are primarily grown in Oklahoma and Texas.

• Valencia Peanuts
  Valencias usually have three or more small kernels to a pod and are covered in a bright-red skin. They are very sweet peanuts and are usually roasted and sold in-the-shell. They are also excellent for fresh use as boiled peanuts. New Mexico is the primary producer of Valencia peanuts.

Within each four basic types of peanuts, there are several "varieties" for seed and production purposes. Each variety contains distinct characteristics which allows a producer to select the peanut that is best suited for its region and market.

Peanuts are grown in the warm climates of Asia, Africa, Australia, and North and South America. India and China together account for more than half of the world's production. The United States has about 3% of the world acreage of peanuts, but grows nearly 10% of the world's crop because of higher yields per acre. Other major peanut growing countries include Senegal, Sudan, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Malawi, and Nigeria.

Peanuts are grown commercially in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

In the United States, six states grow the majority of the U. S. peanut crop: Georgia (which grows about 53% of all U. S. peanuts), followed by Alabama, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina. Mississippi, Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Missouri produce about 7% of the US peanut crop.

These states are grouped into three regions. The Georgia-Florida-Alabama-Mississippi region (Southeast) grows mostly the medium-kernel Runner peanuts. The Southwest region (Texas-Oklahoma-New Mexico-Arkansas) grows Spanish, Runner and some Virginia type varieties. The Virginia-Carolinas area grows mostly the large-kernel Virginia type peanut. About 74% of all U. S. peanuts are grown in the Southeast, with the Virginia/Carolina area accounting for 14% and the Southwest, about 12%

 

[ronmch20]

Damn, can't I just buy a bag at the store.

Jes kiddin', good info.

 

[ORIGINAL NATION]

You can take an Aloe Vera plant and keep pinching the tips off planting them until you end up with hundreds and start selling them. I already got a large container and have started doing that.

 

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You can take an Aloe Vera plant and keep pinching the tips off planting them until you end up with hundreds and start selling them. I already got a large container and have started doing that.

dope idea... will do.

 

[junyloko]

great thread