Gardening Articles: Care :: Soil, Water, & Fertilizer
Planting Preparation for Peanuts (page 2 of 2)
by National Gardening Association Editors
In addition to supplying the soil with organic matter, broadcast three to four pounds of 5-10-10 fertilizer over each 100 square feet and work it into the top two to three inches of soil shortly before planting. Peanut seeds and young plants are sensitive to fertilizer burn, so don't apply fertilizer directly to rows where you'll be planting peanuts.
As a member of the legume family, peanuts have their own supply of nitrogen. For this reason, use 5-10-10 fertilizer, which contains less nitrogen than other commercial fertilizers. If the peanut seeds have been inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, they'll be able to draw elemental nitrogen from the soil air, change it into a usable form and store it in the nodules of the plant roots.