Learn How to Grow Peanuts in Your Spring Garden

Peanuts are not actually nuts, they are a vegetable that belongs to the legume family. Learn how to grow peanuts in your garden and enjoy the benefits of this hassle free, delicious crop.

Peanuts are native to South America and take about 120 days tomature. The plant is hardy and can withstand light spring and fall frosts. Although peanut plants are normally considered to be Southern crops, Northern gardeners can grow them successfully if they start the plants indoors, and use certain varieties that can withstand cooler climates.

Planting

Peanuts require full sun and soil with good drainage. You can ensure enough drainage by working in organic matter in order to make it loose and friable.

Peanut seeds can be planted hulled or unhulled but be sure not to remove the thin, pinkish brown seed coverings, otherwise the seed will not germinate.

If you live in a cooler climate, start your peanut plant indoors in a large pot about a month before the last frost. Seeds should be sowed on inch deep and placed in the sunniest spot possible. Be sure to water weekly. You can transplant your peanut seedlings into your outside garden once the soil is between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplants should be spaced 10 inches apart.

If you live in a warmer climate, plant your crop outdoors around the last expected frost. Space your seeds 2 inches deep and 5 inches apart in rows that are 2 to 3 feet apart. Be sure to water well and thin the plants to 10 inches apart.

Growing

Once it is about 1 foot tall, long, pointed pegs will grow from faded flowers and push 1 to 3 inches into the soil. This is where you will find the peanut. The soil around the plant should be soft enough so that the pegs growing from the plant do not have too much difficulty penetrating the soil. You can help your plant by laying down some light mulch, like grass clippings or straw to prevent the hardening of soil.

1 inch of water a week is perfect for a peanut plant. Since it is a legume, it can supply its own nitrogen. The use of nitrogen-rich fertilizer will encourage foliage instead of fruit, so try to avoid the use of any fertilizer that may contain a lot of nitrogen. Soil that is well-prepared will provide all the nutrients the plants need.

Harvesting

Once the leaves turn yellow and the peanuts’ inner shells have gold looking veins, your crop is ready to harvest. You can check the peanuts periodically by pulling out a few nuts and shelling them. The pegs will become very brittle and the pods will break off if you wait too long to harvest. To harvest, pull the entire plant our of the ground while the soil is moist. Dry the plant in an airy space until the leaves become crumbly. Once the plant is dried, remove the pods. Unshelled peanuts can be stored for up to a year if they are stored in an airtight container.

[via Real Farmacy]

Your Healthy Gardening Guide

There's nothing like heading into your yard on a warm spring day and getting your hands dirty -- in a good way. "Gardening can be great for reducing stress," says Alexis Chiang Colvin, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. "You're out in the fresh air and sunshine, getting your daily dose of moderate exercise."

But you want to do it safely, without bug bites and back pain. Follow these ground rules to enjoy the growing season in good health.

Add Herbs

Get more from your patch of green by planting these easy-to-grow, healthful herbs in your garden, suggests Brian Hetrich, ND, of the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Fla.:

Basil. This highly fragrant plant packs vitamins A and K, and its essential oil has been shown to have antibacterial properties.
Grow tip: An annual, basil can thrive inside or out (plant after the danger of frost passes). It prefers sun and moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil combined with compost. Space about 12-inches apart, water at least every other day and harvest select leaves when the plant is about 10-inches tall.

Rosemary. These leaves have compounds that might help boost the immune system and improve digestion and memory.
Grow tip: Plant this tender perennial in the ground in warm climates or in pots you can move indoors during winter. It prefers slightly alkaline soil and lots of sun. Space at least 24 inches apart, and keep soil moist until the herb is established, which may take a year.

Mint. Great in tea and even in savory dishes, mint can aid digestion, and it also provides vitamins A and C.
Grow tip: Plant seedlings in moist, well-drained soil in a sunny spot, spaced about 15 inches apart. (Mint spreads rampantly, so consider using pots.) Keep well hydrated, watering at least every other day. Removing the leaves from the top of the plant will encourage new growth down the stem.

Pain-Free Positioning

Using your body properly will help you avoid aches later. While standing, keep your back straight with your knees bent slightly, neck and shoulders relaxed.

Get low. Don't bend from the waist. Instead, kneel on a cushion or sit on a stool (or an overturned bucket), as long as it's low enough for you to maintain a straight back. Make access even easier by planting a raised bed (about 10 inches high) and using tools with longer handles.

Lift smart. For heavy items, squat down and engage the muscles in your thighs and butt when you stand up, keeping your knees bent and back straight. Hug heavy pots or bags of soil close to your body as you straighten.

Switch it up. To avoid repetitive stress injury, rotate tasks that involve doing the same motions again and again (raking, digging) every 15 to 20 minutes and briefly rest or stretch in between.

Keep it clean

Infection might not seem like a big gardening hazard, but the soil in your yard might be, well, soiled with lead and other toxic chemicals from old paint and plumbing, contaminants from pesticides and parasites from pet or wild-animal droppings (hello, giardia and toxoplasmosis), not to mention tetanus and E. coli.

The best defense is to invest in a quality pair of gardening gloves -- either thin and fitted for tasks that require dexterity, or leather ones in a gauntlet style for when you're clearing brambles or thorny bushes. If you do get a cut, nick or scrape, wash it thoroughly with soap and warm water to keep the risky stuff from getting into your bloodstream and potentially causing an infection.

Avoid These Plants And Bugs

Poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac can be tricky to spot. Generally, poison ivy climbs or creeps. Its leaves come in threes and can be shiny green or reddish, with smooth or jagged edges. Poison oak also grows in clusters of three, with leaves that resemble true oak leaves. You'll know poison sumac as a rangy shrub, with smooth-edged green leaves with red stems. If you brush up against these plants, immediately wash with cool water to remove the oils from your skin, and wash clothes in hot water.

Ticks. To steer clear of Lyme disease, wear long pants tucked into socks. Check yourself and pets when coming inside. Find a critter? Use tweezers to pull it up and out; wash with soap and water. See a doctor if you get a rash or fever within a few weeks, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Bees. Bees want nectar-filled flowers, so don't resemble one: Avoid bright floral clothes and scented lotions. And always wear shoes -- many stings happen from stepping on bees. If you get stung, wash with soap and water; remove the stinger by wiping with gauze, says the CDC.

Mosquitoes. They mostly just cause itchy welts, but mosquitoes can carry disease. To keep them out of your yard, remove breeding grounds, like buckets, empty pots and anywhere else water collects. They tend to bite at dawn and dusk, so if you're out, wear a repellent with DEET.

Stay Sun-Safe

Whenever you're outdoors, the sun can damage your skin, so slather on a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30. Don a wide-brim hat, as well as long sleeves and pants, all in lightweight materials -- you don't want to get overheated! Head indoors midday, when the sun is strongest. And don't neglect hydration: Sip from a water bottle every 15 minutes.

[via Health.com]

Companion Planting

May 15th is the traditional cut off date for a final frost. Meaning, starting next week, everything goes – in your garden. I will be seeding watermelons and transplanting chile peppers. As you prepare to fill your summer plot, consider not only what you’re planting, but where you’re planting. The logic and tradition of companion planting is based on setting up mutually beneficial relationships between plants. This method of organization can encourage pest control and stimulate vigorous growth. It is even said to produce tastier tomatoes.

Every plant demands and provides differently – absorbing certain soil nutrients, attracting specific pests while repelling others. It makes sense, then, to arrange your garden in a way that takes advantage of these individual properties. Companion planting originated with the Native American custom of the “Three Sisters” guild. Historically, Native Americans would plant corn, squash and beans side by side on a small plot of land. The tall stalks of corn provided a trellis for the beans, while the sprawling squash offered ground cover, stamping out potential weeds. Beans, a legume, are nitrogen fixing, and will not disturb nutrient intake of corn or squash.

Trap crops are another example of companion planting. If you are concerned about squash bugs attacking your cucumber bed, plant zucchini nearby. Summer squash leaves are sweeter and more preferable to the pests, thus deterring them from your main crop cukes.

Overtime, growers have collectively developed a comprehensive guide to companion planting. Inevitably, these guides are part truth, part lore, but in any case, a home garden offers the perfect scale in which to trial some of this knowledge. We can’t tend to our garden at all times, so why not let the plants themselves do some of the work?

Here are a few suggestions:

Basil with tomatoes – repels tomato hornworms

Nasturtiums with squash – deters squash bugs

Radishes and cucumbers – trap crop for cucumber beetles

Lettuce and carrots – for best flavor of both

Bee balm and tomatoes – for enhanced tomato flavor

Tomatoes and lettuce – tall trellis can provide welcome shade for tender greens

[via Wilder Quarterly]

Basil: The World's Most Versatile Herb

Whoever said that print is dead clearly hasn't picked up Wilder Quarterly, the Brooklyn-based journal filled with pages that star "half-green thumbs, rooftop gardeners, foodies and chefs, laymen hikers, landscape architects, hobby farmers, horticulturalists, nature’s innovators, amateurs, and experts." It's definitely on our shortlist for top magazines on the newsstand.

The WQ blog delivers regular digital content in the same vein, including tips on growing edible plants like basil, the world's most versatile herb. Basil gets extra marks for being easy to grow and for filling the kitchen with a wonderfully bright and spicy aroma. All you really need is a bright windowsill (preferably south-facing) or any spot that gets about 4–6 hours of full sunlight a day. From the post:

Although there aren’t as many varieties of basil as there are provinces in Italy, you have a few to chose from. I would suggest Genovese (for the flavor) or Mammoth (for the size). Sow the seeds thinly, about 1 – 2 inches apart and cover with a quarter inch of soil. Use either a pot (at least 18 inches in diameter) or a window box (with seeds scattered lengthwise). Basil is happiest in warm, course-textured soil that drains well (good drainage is vital when growing basil), however keep soil moist with frequent misting. Clip leaves often, right at the node taking about 1/3 of the stem. This will promote growth and further enhance the flavor.

For additional info, talk to the folks at your local nursery about the best suggestions for you in terms of climate, fertilization, and variety.

[via SHFT, Wilder Quarterly]