How to Grow Runner Peanuts

Runner peanuts have a running growth habit instead of forming upright bunches. The plants produce consistently sized kernels frequently used for making peanut butter. Runner peanuts perform best in a sunny site with fast-draining, sandy soil. Sow the seeds in spring after all frost danger has passed and the soil temperature is at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Harvest the peanuts 125 to 165 days, depending upon the variety.

Tiller or garden fork
Organic compost
Garden hoe
Mulch
16-16-16 granular fertilizer
Spading fork

Instructions

- 1
  Cultivate the garden soil with a tiller or garden fork to a depth of at least 6 inches. Mix 4 inches of organic compost with the soil.
- 2
  Broadcast 16-16-16 fertilizer granules over the growing site. Mix them into the turned soil with a garden fork. Apply the fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb. for every 100 square feet of planting space.
- 3
  Create rows with a garden hoe for planting. Leave a space of 3 feet between each row.
- 4
  Plant the runner peanut seeds 1 inch deep. Allow 8 inches of space between each seed.
- 5
  Provide 1 to 2 inches of supplemental moisture each week, depending upon rainfall amounts.
- 6
  Spreading 2 inches of mulch around each peanut plant when the seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall minimizes weed growth and keeps the roots moist.
- 7
  Repeat the application of 16-16-16 fertilizer approximately 30 days after planting.
- 8
  Loosen the soil around the plants with a garden hoe every two weeks. Use shallow, grazing strokes and cultivate only the soil's top layer so that developing peanuts aren't damaged.
- 9
  Dig and harvest runner peanuts using a spading fork when the foliage starts turning yellow. This occurs during late summer or early autumn.

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