Grow your own peanuts! - Jan 28, 2011
The grow your own fruit and veggie revolution is expanding with the release of peanut plants now available in nurseries. Peanuts are one of the easiest of all plants to grow.
Traditionally you would plant them from raw seeds bought at a heath food shop at the start of spring but nurseries have made it easier for you by producing semi advanced plants already in flower.
Peanut plants are fast growing ground covers that can grow 450mm high by 1200mm wide. They can be grown in pots or gardens in any sunny position. The soil has to be soft and friable. If your soil is heavy clay them grow your peanuts in pots on the patio. Use good quality potting mix and you can't go wrong.
Peanut plants have green stems and oval shaped leaves that look ornamental. They produce 50 or more pretty yellow flowers that are self pollinating. The bright yellow flowers only last for a day and then a few days latter a stem will grow down from the spent flower into the ground. Each flower produces one peanut. The peanuts grow under the ground like potatoes.
When the leaves start to turn yellow dig up your peanut plant and shake the soil from the roots. Hang the plant in your shed for 7 days until the peanuts dry. They can be eaten raw or put them in the oven at 220 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
Flowering peanut plants are available in your local nursery now but plant them soon or it will be too late. Peanuts love the heat and the kids will love growing them.
Tim Pickles is a CNP horticulturist and director of Tim's Garden Centre 2 Queen St Campbelltown 46267022.