Plant Peanuts for Fun Father's Day Gift

"...was visiting your website...My Dad loves beer, he even says he wants  to make his own beer. I was thinking about something with beer...What  can I make Dad for Father's Day?"

Hi Karen,

I've noticed that people who love beer also like peanuts. Does your Dad like peanuts? How about giving your Dad his own pot of growing peanuts to go with his beer?

Start with a handful  of un-roasted, unsalted peanuts.

You don't need a lot; 4 to 6 peanuts will do nicely.

Prepare a clean, garden pot by putting about an inch of packing peanuts in the bottom to help keep the pot light enough to move around.

Add a couple of inches of compost, then fill the pot up with good potting soil to about 2 inches from the top.

Don't use garden soil, it'll dry out after a couple of weeks and make it hard for the peanuts to grow. You need good potting soil, available at any garden center.

Now DON'T do what I did and plant peanuts in the shell.

It may work, but it will take a long time for the shells to break down and release peanut seeds. Those outer shells are hard and designed to protect delicious peanuts inside!

Not to mention peanuts attracting wildlife including Blue Jays, raccoons and possums, all who love peanuts. Have you watched a Blue Jay pecking a peanut shell? They look like woodpeckers!

Even covered up in soil, wildlife WILL find the pot of planted peanuts and throw their own party, as I found out the next day...(photo)

Remove peanuts from shells. Place shelled peanuts on soil a few inches apart; then cover with about an inch of soil.

Water. Place in full sun.

Unroasted, unsalted shelled peanuts will quickly sprout and, 3-4 months later, you'll be able to turn the pot over and harvest your very own peanuts, not to mention the weeks you'll spend talking to your Dad about how peanut plants are doing.

Add or make a Father's Day card that says "Dad, a little something to go with your favorite beer, from one of your very own peanuts" and "Happy Father's Day!"