Delicious and nutritious peanuts were popular in many ways: they are enjoyed with pleasure by adults and children. But not everyone knows about how peanuts grow and where their native land is. About this amazing plant and the cultivation of peanuts in the home, we will tell in this article.
Where does peanuts grow?
Peanuts belong to the family of legumes, and is a one-year herbaceous plant with small yellow flowers. In Europe, peanuts were imported from the West Indies, where, in turn, he came from his homeland - South America. Peanuts - a plant very, very thermophilic and for its cultivation the subtropical climate is best suited. At home in the subtropical environment wild species of peanuts grow as perennials. Subtropical origin of peanuts are also conditions that are necessary for its normal functioning: high temperature (in the range of +20 to +27 degrees Celsius) and medium humidity level.
How to grow peanuts on the site?
On the fields, peanuts can be grown only in the southern regions. In the conditions of the average crop zone, one can expect only when growing peanuts in a greenhouse.
- First of all, it is necessary to germinate the seeds. To do this, take a roasted peanut and sprout it on a damp cloth. Make it better in late April-early May. The whole process of germination of grains will take about ten days. Sprouted seeds are planted in pots with soil and grow seedlings. Two weeks after germination, seedlings can be planted on a bed.
- In a greenhouse, it is most convenient to place peanuts next to tomatoes. Peanuts are a low-growing plant and after removing the lower leaves from tomatoes, there is enough room for it to live. Peanuts do not only prevent the normal development of tomatoes, but also secrete nitrogen necessary for tomatoes.
- A bed before planting peanuts must be carefully loosened, because fruits from peanuts are formed under the ground.
- Flowering peanuts begins in late June, when the plant reaches a height of 15-20 cm. Flowering lasts for 1.5 months, after which, under favorable conditions, fruits begin to form. Over a season, the plant produces more than 200 flowers, each of which lives only one day.
- The formation of fruits in peanuts is a very interesting process. After the flowers have been fertilized and the ovary is formed, it lies down on the ground and begins to be buried in it. The fetus develops only under the ground, and those ovaries that remain on its surface die.
- The main care, which requires peanuts - hilling. For normal formation of fruits and a good harvest, it is necessary to produce three hills: at the end of July, peanuts are planted with a loose mixture of garden soil and compost at a height of 30 mm, and in August they hibernate twice more to a height of 15-20 mm.
- You can start harvesting peanuts after the leaves have turned yellow. This usually happens in the first half of September. Peanut bushes are excavated from the ground completely, neatly shaken and dried in the sun. After 10-12 days, the beans begin to easily separate.
How to grow peanuts at home?
Groundnut peanuts can also be grown in the home, on the windowsill. To do this, you need to germinate the seeds and plant them in a flower pot. For full development, the soil in the pot must be loose and damp, and the plant itself should be regularly sprayed. Regular spraying will help maintain the necessary level of moisture for peanuts and protect it from spider mites. The window sill for peanuts should be well lit and ventilated, but at the same time protected from drafts.
Also at us you can learn as grow other nuts: cashews and pistachios .