They swell and mature into peanut pods. Most pods contain two seeds, but some may contain only one or as many as five seeds. Peanut plants grow best in light, well-drained, sandy soil. They need much sunshine, warm temperatures, moderate rainfall, and a frost-free growing period of four or five months. Farmers prepare the soil by plowing it deeply and thoroughly.
Loose soil is important so that the pegs can penetrate the soil easily.
Farmers must harvest peanuts at exactly the right time. If they harvest their peanut crops too early, many of the pods will not have ripened. If they harvest their crops too late, the pegs may snap, and many of the pods will be left in the soil. Most of the pods ripen 120 to 150 days after planting. The plants, with pods attached, are dug from the soil and turned upside down to dry in the sun.