Soil preparation

Soil preparation

Since maize was grown on the land for years, the soil was quite poor in nutrients. We therefore decided to sow peanuts as green manure before planting the first tree seedlings. Like peas and beans, they belong to the legume family. Most plants of this family form nodule bacteria (rhizobium) at the roots. These bind the nitrogen in the air and supply the plants with it.
Peanuts are planted just like beans. At a distance of about 30 cm a 5-10 cm deep hollow is made. Each hole is filled with 4-6 peanuts, watered and then filled up with soil again. With good watering, the plants will have reached a sufficient size for green manure after 4 weeks and can be worked back into the soil.

If you prefer to harvest peanuts, leave the plants standing until the leaves turn yellow. The peanuts are then ripe and can be removed from the ground. However, this tropical plant requires a temperature of 25-30 C. So it can only be grown in a greenhouse or as a potted plant in a warm corner. Like all pulses, peanuts should not be eaten raw in large quantities. In order to kill possible mould, the fruits are roasted before consumption; either directly with the shell in the oven or without the shell in a pot.