This section is intended to show those who do not live in an
area that grows peanuts how it is done, and with pictures. I've found
this lacking on the Internet. I believe since so many love peanuts and
also their many by-products, you might find this information interesting.
I've heard there are people who think peanuts grow on trees. They actually
grow on the roots of the plants under the ground. I have inserted
pictures to demonstrate each step from preparing the field to harvesting
the peanuts. Peanuts are not actually in the nut family but are legumes
only their pods are under the soil instead of on the vine. We do not grow
them, my Father-in-law did. Now my husband and his brother rent the land
to a farmer who plants peanuts in spring and as you will see, rye grass in
the fall for his cows to winter on.
There is a statue in Enterprise, Alabama to the boll weevil. It was that
little insect that caused local farmers to stop growing cotton and
plant peanuts as the major money crop in this area. Therefore,
a monument was erected to remember the boll weevil. Peanut farming
has been a good crop for this area of south Alabama.
This is a scan of an actual young plant, showing (see the pointing hands)
the very young nuts on the roots and a bloom drying on the plant top.
The blooms are small and bright golden yellow. This page title has a
scan of an individual leaf with a dried bloom and one with a very young,
small peanut on it.
This picture above,is young peanuts, approximately 2 to 3 weeks
old. First, the farmer takes his tractor with plows and the soil is
"turned over", plowing the rye grass (from the winter) under. All
fertilizer is applied before planting. The normal season for peanuts
is plant in mid April (past frost), then they are picked 120 to 135
days later which is how long it takes them to "mature".
Shelled seed peanuts are planted, these are high quality peanuts,
the same as we would eat, only raw and allowed to dry for seed.
In good weather, warm and enough rain, they will sprout in
approximately 7 to 10 days. If you can see a steady crack down a
row of planted peanuts, you know you are going to have a good
"stand".
This picture is just after plowing them once for weed control and to
help growth. Probably about 5 or 6 weeks old all depending on
the weather, the farmer plows when he can see they are large enough
to need it, but still small enough he can plow without disturbing
the plant.
Above is a picture with the peanut plants about 2 months old. The crop
must be sprayed several times during the growing season for many things including
insects, blight, fungus, etc. The peanut plants bloom all summer. These blooms
become what is called a "peg" which makes a long white shoot that goes
into the ground and makes the peanuts. The "peg" is the stem we see on
peanuts still in the hull.
Above is the field just before time to plow the peanuts up for
picking. This was our drought summer of 2000, in a normal season,
with sufficient rain, the rows would be completely lapped, no
dirt seen at all between the rows.
The next page shows you the plowing "up" of the peanuts and
then the picker in action. Just click the "next" link below.
Designed and best viewed with Internet Explorer.
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ŠAquarius 2001
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