When is the best time to plant peanuts?

Peanut, as a member of the leguminous family, is not only an important oil crop , but its fruit can also be eaten directly. Among many agricultural crops, peanuts have relatively high economic value, especially peanuts planted in spring. Spring peanuts are popular in the catering industry, night market barbecue stalls and other places because of their early maturity and ability to be put on the market earlier. Although the benefits of planting peanuts in spring are considerable, the relatively low temperatures in spring may have an adverse effect on the germination and seedling growth of peanuts. Therefore, choosing the right sowing time is crucial to ensure good growth and high yield of peanuts.

When is the best time to plant peanuts?

Peanuts are an adaptable crop that can be grown in both spring and fall. Since peanuts planted in spring usually have higher economic returns, many farmers tend to choose spring sowing. The following are the key technical points for spring peanut planting .

Peanuts prefer warm climates and can usually be sown when the temperature is stably above 12°C. Its optimum flowering temperature range is 23℃ to 28℃, but it needs to be kept at least above 19℃. Therefore, the optimal sowing time can be determined by combining the growth temperature requirements of peanuts and local climatic conditions. In northern regions, spring peanut sowing is usually scheduled between mid-to-late April and May; in the south, due to the warmer climate, the sowing time can be advanced to mid-to-late February to March.

Given the instability of spring temperatures, farmers often use mulch to maintain a suitable temperature when sowing, which helps the germination and growth of peanuts. When choosing mulch, black mulch has better thermal insulation effect than white mulch, so it is more recommended. Through these measures, the success rate of spring peanut planting can be improved, thereby increasing yield and economic benefits.

Preliminary preparations for peanut planting

Seed preparation: There are many varieties of peanuts, which can be divided into three types according to color: white, red and black. They can be divided into double-kernel, triple-kernel, quadruple-kernel, etc. according to the number of kernels. In addition, there are many types of peanuts classified by variety. Selecting highly disease-resistant varieties suitable for local climatic conditions is key to ensure good growth and yield.

Land preparation and ridge making: In order to obtain high-yield and high-quality peanuts, it is necessary to ensure that the soil is loose and breathable. This is usually achieved by deep tilling and ridging. Ridge making not only increases the loose layer of the soil, which is beneficial to the development of the root system, but also ensures good drainage during the rainy season and prevents root diseases caused by waterlogging. The height of the ridge is generally kept at about 20 cm, the width is determined according to planting needs, and the depth of the planting trough is about 5 cm. The larger the ridge width, the higher the land utilization rate, and accordingly, the more peanut seeds can be sown, which helps to increase yield. Highly sticky soil should be avoided, especially in the hilly areas in the south, to prevent the soil from becoming compacted in the later stage and affecting the peanut harvest.

Application of base fertilizer: Adequate base fertilizer is the basis for cultivating strong seedlings. It is recommended to use a combination of organic fertilizer and peanut-specific fertilizer. Organic fertilizer can improve soil structure, promote root growth, enhance the ability to absorb nutrients, and improve disease resistance. 80 to 100 kilograms of peanut-specific fertilizer and 200 kilograms of organic fertilizer can be applied per mu of land. The base fertilizer should be evenly mixed into the soil during the ridging process to avoid direct contact with the seeds to prevent root burn.

Sowing density: Sowing density has a direct impact on yield. Too sparse planting will result in land waste, while too dense planting will increase seed costs. The spacing for single seed sowing is about 15 cm, and the spacing for double seed sowing is about 20 cm. One advantage of double seed sowing is that even if one seed does not germinate, the other can still grow normally, reducing the problem of non-germination that may occur in single seed sowing, thereby saving the cost of manual replanting. After sowing, the seeds should be covered with 3 to 5 cm thick soil, which should not be too thick to affect germination, nor too thin to cause insufficient moisture. Before sowing, the seeds should be treated with fungicides to ensure the health of the seeds.

The above is an introduction to the time for peanut planting. Peanut planting needs to determine the most suitable sowing time based on the variety and regional environment, and cannot be done blindly.