How to Grow Peanuts in Michigan

Start the peanuts indoors five to eight weeks before outdoor planting time. Fill a 4-inch pot with potting soil. You can use compressed peat pots or regular plastic, your choice.

Shell the raw peanuts. Make sure you get raw peanuts in the shell. You can purchase them from a seed supply if you prefer.

Push a peanut from 1 inch to 2 inches deep into each pot. You should grow 10 to 12 plants per family member for a good amount of peanuts. Water the pots and set them in a warm sunny area to sprout.

Keep the pots evenly watered but not soggy until they are 3 inches to 4 inches tall. Move to the garden when the temperatures are warm and frost danger has passed.

Till the garden soil for the peanuts about 7 inches deep and add compost. Plant the seedlings 18 inches apart. You can stagger plants if you are doing double rows to fit in more plants.

Mound the dirt around the base of the stem when plants reach 12 inches in height. Mulch the peanuts and keep the soil around the plants loose.

Keep the plants evenly watered until yellow flowers appear, then allow the ground to dry out between waterings. Peanuts do not like to be over-watered and prefer sandy, well-draining soil.

Harvest plants at 120 to 150 days when the leaves turn yellow and begin to wither. Use a pitch fork or garden fork and set the tines into the earth below the pods. Lift the entire plant out of the ground, and shake gently to remove dirt. Hang the plants in a warm dry place for about 2 weeks to allow them to dry. When hulls are completely dried, you can remove the peanuts.