When to plant spring peanuts?

Choosing the right time to plant spring peanuts is crucial to ensure a high yield of the crop. Timely sowing can increase the germination rate of peanuts, cultivate neat and strong seedlings, and bring more flowers and fruits in the later growing season, thus ensuring higher yields. On the contrary, if the sowing time is too early or too late, it may have an adverse effect on the entire growth cycle of peanuts and affect the final yield. Let’s learn below about when to plant spring peanuts?

When to plant spring peanuts?

The planting time of spring peanut has a significant impact on its growth and yield. If sowing is too early, the low temperature may affect the normal germination of peanuts, resulting in uneven emergence, weak and yellow seedlings, which in turn increases the risk of diseases and pests, affects flower bud differentiation and pod formation, and ultimately leads to a decrease in yield. In addition, although sowing spring peanuts too late can avoid the effects of low temperatures, it may lead to problems such as vigorous growth, shortened growing period, incomplete pods, reduced oil content, and drought in the later stages of growth.

The suitable sowing time for spring peanuts should be determined according to local climatic conditions and soil temperature. Generally, when the soil temperature at 5 cm is stable at above 12°C, you can start sowing. The suitable sowing time will vary in different regions. For example, the suitable sowing time in South China and Southwest China may be from late March to early April, in Central China, East China and North China it may be in mid-to-late April, and in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and Northwest China it may be from late April to early to mid-May. Planting with mulch film can be done 10-15 days earlier.

In addition, variety characteristics will also affect the choice of sowing time. Early-maturing varieties can be sown earlier, while late-maturing varieties can be sown later.

Peanut sowing method

Row sowing: Row sowing is sowing seeds in furrows at a certain row spacing. The row spacing is usually adjusted according to the planting density and machinery, generally between 30-40 cm. Row sowing facilitates field management and mechanical operations.

Hole sowing: Hole sowing is to dig holes at specific intervals and sow a few peanut seeds in each hole. The hole spacing and hole depth need to be determined according to soil conditions and variety characteristics. Usually the hole spacing is 20-30 cm and the hole depth is about 5 cm. Hole sowing helps ensure that there is adequate space between plants, which is conducive to ventilation and light transmission.

Spot sowing: Spot sowing is the direct sowing of single seeds in the field according to the predetermined plant and row spacing. This method is suitable for precision agriculture and when the amount of seeds is small.

Sowing depth: The sowing depth of peanuts is generally about 5 cm. Too deep or too shallow will affect the germination rate. After sowing, the soil should be covered and compacted in time to facilitate contact between seeds and soil.

Sowing density: Sowing density depends on the variety, soil fertility and climatic conditions. Generally, the sowing amount per mu is about 10-15 kg, and the plant spacing and row spacing need to be adjusted according to specific circumstances.

In short, the sowing time of spring peanuts should take into account local climate, soil conditions, variety characteristics and other factors to ensure timely sowing and avoid the adverse effects of sowing too early or too late.