What Is A Virginia Peanut Information On Planting Virginia Peanuts

What is a Virginia Peanut? Virginia peanut plants do not bear “true nuts,” such as those that grow overhead in trees. They are legumes, which produce edible seeds in pods underneath the ground, so planting and harvesting Virginia peanuts are easy tasks for the average gardener.

What is a Virginia peanut?

Virginia Peanuts are a variety of peanut that is grown primarily in Virginia, but is also grown in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. These peanuts are one of four main types of peanuts grown in the United States. The other types of peanuts are Runner Peanuts, Spanish Peanuts, and Valencia Peanuts.

Can you grow peanuts in Virginia?

Peanuts. Virginia's world-renowned peanuts are grown in Southeastern Virginia's sandy soil, where the climate is ideal for producing large peanuts. Because of their large kernels, Virginia peanuts have acquired the reputation of being the “Cadillac” of peanuts.

How do you plant peanut seeds?

How to Plant

To grow peanuts, you will actually need to start with fresh, raw, uncooked peanuts still in their shells.
To start inside, fill a large, four-inch-deep plastic bowl ⅔ full of moist potting soil. ...
To plant outside, place the peanut seeds two inches deep and eight inches apart in loose, well-drained soil.

What time of the year do you plant peanuts?

Across the USA Peanut Belt, peanuts are planted after the last frost in April through May, when soil temperatures reach 65°—70°F. Farmers plant specially grown peanut kernels from the previous year's crop about two inches deep, approximately one to two inches apart in rows.

Why are peanuts important to Virginia?

When they first arrived in America, peanuts were considered a curiosity and a great animal feed, but the turn of the century would boost new technology as well as the research of renowned biologist George Washington Carver, who found around 300 different uses for peanuts and his work transformed the economy of eastern ...

Why are Virginia peanuts so good?

Considered the “gourmet” peanut variety, Virginia peanuts have large kernels, and are the variety you get in the shell at ballpark stadiums. Because of their large size and premium characteristics, this variety is best suited for snacking instead of in peanut butter.

Is it legal to grow peanuts?

The nation's system for regulating peanuts is, well, nuts. The laws don't allow farmers to grow and sell peanuts to fellow Americans unless they own a Federal license, very few of which have been issued since the early 1940's. ... Americans pay 50 percent more for home-grown peanuts than do foreigners.

Can you eat peanuts right out of the ground?

Most raw nuts are quite safe to eat. Raw peanuts themselves are not toxic and are safe to eat. However, they can be contaminated with a mold called Aspergillus flavus which produces a chemical called aflatoxin, a potential carcinogen that can cause health problems in people and animals.

How do you know when peanuts are ready to harvest?

Peanuts will be ready for harvest when the leaves turn yellow and begin to wither, usually 120 to 150 days after planting. Lift pods with a garden fork, pulling up the whole plant. Shake away loose soil and hang the whole plant to dry for about two weeks in a warm, dry place.

How many peanuts will one plant produce?

Gravity pulls the peg downward into the soil where the peanut pod forms. The outer shell reaches full size well before the individual peanuts mature. Each plant produces between 25 and 50 peanuts. Mature plants may be as large as 36 inches in diameter and about 18 inches tall.

Should I soak peanuts before planting?

Soaking seeds overnight in water just before planting promotes fast, uniform germination. Peanut seedlings will emerge within a week after planting, then they will grow slowly for about a month.

Are peanuts hard to grow?

Growing Your Own Peanuts Is Actually Ridiculously Easy. Contrary to popular belief, the peanut is not a nut. ... Although the peanut plant is generally considered a Southern crop, Northern gardeners can also grow them successfully if they choose early cultivars such as Early Spanish and start plants indoors.

What can you not plant with peanuts?

In-ground crops to avoid are onions and other members of the Allium family. Very tall crops, like pole beans and corn, should be avoided, as they will shade the peanut plants and can inhibit nut formation. Food crops such as cabbage and celery enjoy the same site conditions but are not so tall as to create shade.

How often should you water peanuts?

Water. Peanuts need about one inch of rain or irrigation per week during the growing season, specifically after planting to ensure germination and establishment of the seedlings; then 60 to 110 days after planting when the pegs have entered the soil and up to the time when the pods have filled.

Do peanuts grow back every year?

The plants are nipped by winter frost, but if the cold isn't too severe, they regrow from rhizomes the following spring. In cooler climates, perennial peanuts can be grown as annuals. Perennial peanuts prefer heat, sunlight and sandy, well-drained soil.

Are Virginia peanuts good for you?

Peanuts Are Chocked-Full of Nutrients

High in Vitamin E, peanuts also have compounds such as Resveratrol, Isoflavones, and other anti-oxidants. So next time you snack, be sure to snack on FERIDIES delicious, healthy Virginia peanuts.

Is Virginia famous for peanuts?

Virginia has become well-known for its gourmet peanuts, with farmers in the southeastern portion of the state producing millions of pounds each year. The legume, commonly referred to as a nut, is enjoyed raw or boiled as well as combined in many popular Virginia recipes, from peanut soup to peanut butter pie.

Who grew peanuts first?

Africans were the first people to introduce peanuts to North America beginning in the 1700s. Records show that it wasn't until the early 1800s that peanuts were grown as a commercial crop in the United States. They were first grown in Virginia and used mainly for oil, food and as a cocoa substitute.

What are the best Virginia peanuts?

Belmont peanuts are the best Virginia peanuts I've had. They are large, crunchy, perfectly seasoned and really tasty.

Which state has the best peanuts?

Georgia produces the most peanuts in the United States followed by Florida & Alabama.

Rank	State
1	Georgia
2	Florida
3	Alabama
4	Texas

What are the four types of peanuts?

U.S. peanuts fall into four basic types: Runner, Virginia, Spanish and Valencia. Each of these peanuts is distinctive in size and flavor.