Planting guide
When to plant peanut
Warm-season legume whose pods ripen underground; a fun, patient crop for kids. It is not a Melbourne crop, but it grows in warmer places below.
- Start as
- Seed, sown in place
- Ready in
- 14–21 wks
- Spacing
- 20 cm
- Depth
- 4 cm
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours)
- Water
- Regular
- Effort
- Some care
- Frost-tender
- Yes, plant after the last frost
When it goes in
● means peanut can go in that month, ○ means wait. Worked out from each town's real monthly temperatures, not a zone map. Pick your town for the full list for that month.
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Melbourne | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Brisbane | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Perth | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● |
| Adelaide | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Gold Coast | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Newcastle | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Sunshine Coast | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Canberra | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Central Coast | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Geelong | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wollongong | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Hobart | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Townsville | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Cairns | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Toowoomba | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Darwin | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Ballarat | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mandurah | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bendigo | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Launceston | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Mackay | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Rockhampton | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Coffs Harbour | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Blue Mountains | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bunbury | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Bundaberg | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Alice Springs | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ● |
| Mildura | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Port Macquarie | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ |
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Wellington | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Christchurch | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| London | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Manchester | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Edinburgh | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Dublin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| New York City | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Los Angeles | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Chicago | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Seattle | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Austin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Toronto | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Vancouver | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Cape Town | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Johannesburg | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Singapore | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Mumbai | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Paris | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| Berlin | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
How to plant peanut
- Sow shelled raw peanuts 4 cm deep once soil is warm.
- Hill soil around the plant when flowers drop their pegs.
- Keep moist but never waterlogged.
- Dig and dry in the sun for two weeks.
Peanut varieties
Classic varieties are the reliable, widely grown ones. Adventurous ones are heirlooms, odd colours and rarities.
- Big PinkClassicheirloom · 17–21 wksPink-skinned peanuts
- VirginiaClassicgiant · 19–21 wksLarge nuts for roasting
- SpanishClassicfast · 14–17 wksSmall nuts, early maturing
Where to buy seeds
Shop links may earn us a commission. It never changes what we recommend.
Shops shown are for Australia. The chooser picks shops for your country.
Good companions
Corn, Carrot, Marigold
Peanut by month
Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
More to plant
Dwarf Green Bean · Climbing Bean · Edamame · Pea · Broad Bean · Shelling bean