How to Grow Peanuts in a Bucket

Growing Peanuts in a Bucket

• 1

  Select a bucket to use as a planter for your peanut plant. The container should be big enough to allow the peanut's flower stems to set pegs. The pegs are flower stalks that elongate after the flower withers and then push into the soil to develop into the peanut pod. The container should be no less than 18 inches across and 12 inches deep. If you want to grow more than one plant, the container will need to be substantially larger to allow for each plant to set pegs.

• 2

  Make a hole 1 to 3 inches deep in the potting soil and drop in the peanut. Though you can plant whole or shelled raw peanuts purchased at a grocery store, you may be more successful purchasing seed peanuts from a gardening center. These seed peanuts are usually planted unshelled. However, it is better to purchase peanuts still in their shell. Waiting to shell them until right before planting will prevent drying out that leads to lack of germination.

• 3

  Observe the progress of your peanut plant. When it reaches 12 inches tall, mound up the earth around the base of the plant. This hill you create will allow the flowers to set their pegs.

• 4

  Keep the soil moist until the peanuts begin to flower. After flowering, you will not need to water as often. Let the soil completely dry between waterings. You may choose to fertilize your peanut plant but it is not necessary. The plant creates its own nitrogen so if you choose to add fertilizer, use a low-nitrogen formula. The best type of product for nut formation is one also high in calcium that is applied when plants begin to flower.

• 5

  Harvest the peanuts when the leaves yellow and wither, usually between 100 to 120 days from planting time. Lift the peanut pods up with a garden fork. This will pull up the whole plant. Hang the plant in a warm, dry place to allow it to completely dry, which takes about two weeks. You can then remove the seeds.