Cathy Isom lets you know about the popular protein-rich snack that you should consider growing in your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
Although the peanut is native to South America, it can be grown in several different climates. In fact, versatile peanut plants can withstand light autumn frosts and shorter springs. With the right conditions, you’ll be growing peanuts and harvesting armfuls of them no matter where you live.
Protein-rich peanuts are extremely healthy, as long as you’re not allergic to them. Growing these nuts and making your own homemade peanut butter is easy for beginners. The process also doesn’t take long, making this a great project for kids.
Most people are surprised to learn that peanuts aren’t nuts at all. Rather, they’re a type of legume and closely related to plants like beans and peas.
You can grow peanuts in your garden or plant them indoors, depending on the length of the growing season your location offers the plants. If your location (typically zone 8 or higher) offers a growing season of around 130-140 days, plant the peanuts outdoors after the final threat of frost has passed. On the other hand, an area with a shorter growing season will require you to sow the seeds indoors around 2-4 weeks before the final frost. The trick to growing peanuts in the north is to select an early-season variety like “Early Spanish” and plant them in a full-sun, south-facing slope.
I’m Cathy Isom…