Jack asks: I read your plant of the month article for March about perennial peanut. I couldn’t find plants anywhere but found seeds at Farm and Garden. I am worried that chickens and other birds that roam my property might
Jack asks: I read your plant of the month article for March about perennial peanut. I couldn’t find plants anywhere but found seeds at Farm and Garden. I am worried that chickens and other birds that roam my property might eat the seeds. How do you recommend I succeed at growing perennial peanut?
Tropical Gardener answer: You are right to worry about chickens eating your perennial peanut seeds. I recommend that these (and most seeds that birds are likely to eat) be sown in potting mix in either deep flats or 4-inch pots that are kept where birds can’t get them.
You can improve germination somewhat by soaking the seeds overnight before planting. Plant them about 1/2-inch deep into at least 3 inches of soil whether in flats or pots. Keep the soil moist (not wet) and the seeds should germinate in a few weeks. I would not plant them out in the garden until they actually start to grow and spread out.
Once they develop a shoot or two, adding some fertilizer to the soil can speed up their growth. If you are worried about birds scratching up or eating your plants, let them develop well in the pot before you plant them out. They should be well developed in about three months.
For further protection from birds or beasts, you could cover them with some white floating row cover called Reemay until they take off and establish a uniform cover.
Reemay is well known to home gardeners in places that may get surprise frost, but it can also be useful here to offer some protection s from critter damage. It is a polyester fabric that allows 75 percent light transmission and weighs in at a very light 0.6 ounce per square yard. You can find it in most garden supply stores or departments.
If you missed the article in March, you can find it on the West Hawaii Today website by going to “Search Site” and typing in “perennial peanut.” You can also find more information on perennial peanut by going to UH-CTAHR free publications at https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/site/Info.aspx. Your search will show three different UH articles on this useful plant.
Email plant questions to konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu for answers by Certified Master Gardeners. Some questions will be chosen for inclusion in this column.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living in a dryland forest north of Kailua-Kona.
