How to grow peanut
Arachis hypogaea · Fabaceae · Vegetable
When to plant peanuts: the short answer
Start seeds indoors about 4 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out about 1 week after it; sow outdoors about 2 weeks after the last frost. Wait until the soil is at least 65°F; peanuts sprout fastest near 80°F.
Zone 5: plant out Apr 30 – May 17. Zone 7: plant out Apr 5 – Apr 22. Zone 9: plant out Feb 20 – Mar 9. See every zone.
Peanut is a warm-season vegetable in the Fabaceae family, grown either from a direct sowing or from transplants. It wants full sun (six or more hours of direct light) and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 100–150 days. It is killed by frost, so nothing goes outside until the danger has passed and the soil has warmed.
Grower’s note: Flowers above ground, but each fertilized flower sends down a "peg" that buries itself to form the pod underground - keep soil loose and hilled at the base so pegs can penetrate easily. Needs a long, hot season (100+ frost-free days); in shorter-season areas start indoors in biodegradable pots to avoid disturbing the taproot at transplant. Dig the whole plant once leaves yellow and cure pods 1-2 weeks before shelling or roasting.
Sowing
Sow about 1.5″ deep, into soil between 65–95°F — germination is quickest near 80°F. Germination takes a week or two (10–14 days). For an early crop, start seed indoors about 4 weeks before your last spring frost and grow it under bright light.
Spacing & layout
Give each plant about 8″ along the row with roughly 30″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 1 per square foot. Allow at least 24″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 14″ deep.
Fitting it to your season
Peanut needs roughly 100–150 frost-free days to crop. Where the season is shorter than that, start it indoors and choose the earliest-maturing varieties, or grow it in a container you can move under cover on cold nights. In long, hot-summer regions it can often be planted twice — once in spring and again in mid-to-late summer for a fall harvest.
Quick facts
Growth stages: how long peanuts take to grow
From sowing to first harvest takes roughly 100-150 days (14-21 weeks), with seedlings appearing after 10-14 days in soil around 80°F.
When to plant peanut
When to plant peanuts by USDA zone
Dates worked out from each zone’s typical frost dates for 2026. Find your zone on the zone map, or pick your state below for dates from its own frost dates. Zones 11 and above are frost-free, so timing there depends on heat and rain instead.
| Zone | Last / first frost | Start indoors | Sow or plant out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | May 15 / Sep 15 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 15 – Jun 1 |
| Zone 4 | May 10 / Sep 25 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 27 |
| Zone 5 | Apr 30 / Oct 5 | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Apr 30 – May 17 |
| Zone 6 | Apr 15 / Oct 15 | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 15 – May 2 |
| Zone 7 | Apr 5 / Oct 25 | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | Apr 5 – Apr 22 |
| Zone 8 | Mar 20 / Nov 5 | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 20 – Apr 6 |
| Zone 9 | Feb 20 / Nov 30 | Jan 16 – Jan 30 | Feb 20 – Mar 9 |
| Zone 10 | Jan 30 / Dec 15 | Dec 26 – Jan 9 | Jan 30 – Feb 16 |
Companions
Sweet Corn
No strong antagonists recorded.
Common problems
Pests: aphids, thrips, wireworm, white grubs.
Diseases & disorders: leaf spot, southern blight, root-knot nematode.
Same family (Fabaceae)
Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.
Questions gardeners ask
When should I plant peanuts?
Start seeds indoors about 4 weeks before your last spring frost; plant out about 1 week after it; sow outdoors about 2 weeks after the last frost. Wait until the soil is at least 65°F. The table on this page gives dates for each USDA zone, and the planting calendar gives dates for your own state or ZIP code.
How long do peanuts take to grow?
About 100-150 days from sowing to the first harvest. Seeds germinate in 10-14 days, fastest in soil around 80°F.
How much sun do peanuts need?
They need at least six to eight hours of direct sun a day.
What soil pH do peanuts need?
A soil pH between 5.8 and 6.5. It tolerates fairly acidic soil better than most vegetables. Test before adding lime or sulfur - see the soil pH and testing guide.
How far apart should I plant peanuts?
Space plants about 8 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart, or 1 per square foot in a square-foot bed. Sow seeds about 1.5 inches deep.
Can I grow peanuts in a container?
Yes. Use a container at least 14 inches deep with drainage holes and a good potting mix, and water more often than you would in the ground.
Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.