The two-lobed seed fruits of the peanut plant
By the time Columbus reached the New World, natives cultivated peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea) all throughout the warm regions of Central and South America. The Spanish introduced peanuts to Southeast Asia in the Philippines and the Portuguese carried them into Africa, where slaves shipped to North America brought the seeds, which they called goobers. Peanut plants begin to yellow and wither when hints of harvest time beckons.
Peanut Development Timeline
Farmers sow peanuts in middle to late spring when frost no longer occurs and the air and soil are warm. Approximately six to eight weeks after germination, peanuts begin to produce their first blossoms, which look like sweet pear flowers. Anytime from 120 to 150 days after planting, the peanut plant produces ripe seeds or kernels ready for harvest. The kernels develop underground and pull energy from leaves in the final stages of maturation, causing the plant leaves to yellow and partially wilt and dry up.
Harvesting Peanuts
When the majority of peanut plants in the patch display yellowing leaves late in summer or early fall, it's time to harvest. Timing is crucial, as premature harvest yields pods with shriveled kernel nuts inside, while late harvesting often yields few pods since they have already detached from the plant and rest somewhere in the soil profile. Inspect a few pods on a yellowing plant to gauge readiness for harvest. Carefully dig and pull up a peanut plant with a potato fork or shovel. Cracking open a peanut pod at harvest should reveal dark veins inside and a light pink papery skin on each kernel nut.
Curing Peanuts
Do not pull off the peanut pods from the peanut plant stems. Dig and pull up each peanut plant and gently shake off soil from the roots and stem system. Invert the plants and place them back on the ground with roots up toward the sun to dry until the whole patch is dug. Then relocate the plants to air dry in a warm, shaded location, such as a shed, with good air circulation. Two to three weeks of drying and curing causes the kernel nuts in the peanut pods to dehydrate for roasting later. If you wish to boil peanuts for eating, do so immediately after digging pods up at harvest time.
How Peanuts Develop
Peanuts do not grow and develop like the underground tubers on potato plants. Rather, the long stems of peanut plants bear flowers that are pollinated by bees. The petals wither away, but the flower stem, called the pedicel, elongates and curves downward to the soil. Rapidly dividing cells in the flower ovary form a burrowing structure called a peg with a protective cap. The growing ovary pushes itself about 1 to 1 1/2 inches into the soil and then orients itself horizontally. The fruit or pod then matures. Proper harvest time correlates to yellowing leaves and plump kernels in the pods that are still attached to the pedicels. Therefore, pulling up the plant collects all attached pods, making harvest easy and efficient.
Tags: peanut plant, harvest time, kernel nuts, peanut plants, peanut pods, pull peanut
