Virginia and Runner peanuts are low, bushy plants which have two large seeds per pod. Spanish and Valencia are more erect and have smaller seeds. In the USA, peanuts are also widely known as goobers , goober peas , groundpeas , ground nuts or earth nuts . Here in Australia, though, we generally call them peanuts wherever they're grown and regardless of the variety being cultivated. The Peanut Growth Cycle Peanuts grow best in loose, well-drained soils.
Some species do better under irrigation but others manage quite well in fairly dry climates.
However, all types of peanuts do poorly in badly drained or tight, clay soils - and all types are susceptible to frosts. As a result, peanuts tend to be grown over the Spring and Summer months in Australia. The main types grown in the South Burnett are Red Spanish and Virginia peanuts, and these usually require a minimum of 120 to 150 days to reach maturity. Seeds are lodged just a few centimetres below the soil and the young plants usually emerge within a few weeks of seed planting. They generally begin to bloom about 30 to 40 days after that.