I don't think the pictures came through before....

Were those peanuts by any chance started as transplants? If not hardened off before planting, that could be the cause of the damage... or, as Macmex stated, it could be the result of environmental conditions after planting. The newer leaves look healthy, so the plants should grow normally from this point.

That all makes sense. I've been watering them much as I'd water tomato plants that size. At the moment, theyre getting rained on, but when the rain's done, I'll let them dry for 1 or 2 days before watering again.

I notice that the leaves fold to the ground at night. Would it be a good or bad idea to lay very lightweight bamboo sticks on them to encourage the eventual flowers to have better contact with the ground? Does anybody do anything like this?

Thank you all for the advice!

Rick in CT

Holding the leaves down may only encourage slug or insect damage. The flower pegs elongate after blooming, and should easily find their way to the ground on their own.

Here's a second picture which is about as clear as I can get it. I'll check in within a week or two and give an update. Thanks!

I haven't watered these in ~3 days, and the leaves look much better. I guess peanuts don't like regular watering?

Now I have to worry about the woodchuck that was calmly watching me from just 8' away. I had never seen one in the 'city' in almost 40 years of gardening here. I spooked him off, but now I need to think about putting in a fence....lol.

Yes. Unfortunately, woodchucks climb. So get it up before he figures out what you have in the garden. I've plucked woodchucks out of shrubs, 7' in the air and shot one off the top of one of my 8' garden fence posts!

I believe peanuts like it "dry" in comparison to what you are accustomed. So glad they're looking good!

When I lived in NJ I used to do preemptive trapping of woodchucks. I'd set a live trap wherever I spotted them, on my place or my neighbor's (with permission) and catch them before they got to my garden. If I did this early in the spring, the young ones, just looking for a place to stake out their claim, wouldn't get to my garden. This was an annual activity for me.

I got a havahart trap and so far have only captured a skunk which probably lives underneath my porch and is innocuous. I have a caged in area for figs and something is nibbling in there that can get through chicken wire.

Chipmunks? I sure hope not!

Thanks, MacMex!

If chipmunks are causing damage, then you need a small live trap. I have one about 1' long which works very well on chipmunks. I know they can be quite destructive.