Peanut plant - HELP!

9 years ago

Hi,

I have nice peanutplant growing in container, but suddenly it's foliage edges turned brown. Any ideas what could be the problem? Is it a sunburn or something else? What should I do?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

litterbuggy (z7b, Utah)

9 years ago

Where there's green there's almost always hope that you can bring the plant back.

It would be nice to be able to see the leaves. Can you take a pic with a flash? It's the plant getting enough light? There are about a hundred ways in which leaves get brown, so a better photo could be helpful.

Around here, "repotting" means a very specific process of removing all old soil from the root ball, spreading out and trimming the roots, and putting the plant in all new mix, preferably one that drains faster and is much more aerated than typical potting soil. My guess is that you did what we call potting up, just putting a plant in a larger pot and adding soil around the root ball.

Unfortunately all I know about peanuts is how to eat them (I just cracked the recipe for cold spicy peanut noodles!!). And so far I haven't grown annuals or vegetables in containers, so I can't advise you on pot size for a little plant that will quickly turn into a big one whose roots can colonize all the soil in a pot that would drown a slow growing plant. I wonder whether one of the veggie-specific forums might have folks who can help you out with that.

What I do know is that pots need a drain hole so the roots don't suffocate, rot, and die from drowning in saturated soil. Container plants in particular need their soil to get at least partially dry all the way to the bottom of the pot between watering in order to draw fresh oxygenated air to the root zone.

Best of luck!

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Comments (7)

litterbuggy (z7b, Utah)
9 years ago
Any recent changes? Light or watering method, moving the plant, repotting or potting up, fertilizing or adding anything else to the soil? Does the container have drainage?
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
9 years ago
I grew up just a bit too far north for peanut farming. An aunt was always trying an failed. I do think it curious that peanuts are not mentioned more often on these Gardenweb forums. They make interesting plants when growing furiously under good conditions. If you have any success in a container please return here and let us know.
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Hortus Borealis
Original Author
9 years ago
litterbuggy thanks for the quick answer! Actually yes, I repotted it but leaves started to get brown after a week or more. I haven't fertilised or added anything else to the soil. Container unfortunately doesn't have drainage. It's my first time to try growing peanuts and now I know that I need even bigger container and with the holes in a bottom. Do yo think it's a good idea to repot to the bigger one? If the plant is overwatered do you think it could survive?
Hortus Borealis
Original Author
9 years ago
albert_135 Sunset 2b yes, I am also living far up North, so the only possibility for me is to grow indoors in pots. Progress will be updated. If you are interested what else I am growing here you can follow me onInstagram
Hortus Borealis
Original Author
9 years ago
litterbuggy (z7b, Utah)

I think light is enough, first I thought it's a sunburn. Container is next to the window facing South. A lot of sun, when sunny days.

Better photo here:

Yes, potting up it was (sorry for my English and big thanks for explaining the difference)! I usually use drainage and holes in the pots, but this time somehow I thought that since peanuts grow under the soil - it (drainage of clay) would disturb them... my fault. Unfortunately can't make holes in this container, but I have one bigger in what I could make some. I am worried that it could be too many times for potting up one plant, but maybe it would help...?

(mmm...spicy peanut noodles sounds amazing. If it tastes as good as sounds, I would like to get the recipe : >>)
litterbuggy (z7b, Utah)
9 years ago
What do you do with the clay? "Drainage" layers usually actually impede drainage for scientific reasons related to physics that I don't actually understand.

Is it in front of the window or to the side? The light has to fall in the leaves. The light in a room that seems brought to us isn't nearly enough for a ficus.

If you just surrounded the existing rootball with new soil you can do the same again, but without advice from someone smarter than I am I can't recommended using a bigger container for the reasons I gave above. The pot you use needs a hole, because you need to wet all of the soul and have some water drain through.

I haven't gone into soils because like I said I don't know what peanuts need, but hopefully someone else will pipe in here.