Peanuts flourishing in two Rangiora gardens

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 2

Peanuts flourishing in two Rangiora gardens

Two Rangiora men have had as much success growing peanuts as the Sumner gardener reported in "The Press” yesterday. Both men, who work on the Rangiora telephone exchange, have small, flourishing crops, Mr R. 1_ Dobson has grown peanuts for some time, first at Taihape more than 10 years ago, and now at Fernside. “1 had no trouble gorwing them there, with nuts about an inch long,” said Mr Dobson. "The, Taihape soil is a red vol- 1 unit soil (probably similar to that favoured for the! growing of peanuts in Amer-' ica) but the peanuts are doing well on the light, sandy soil at Femside.'*

! Mr Dobson has had com- ■ plete success with his crop.! ■I He planted five nuts and all' ! are thriving, beside his to-! , mato plot. l * He had recently checked hone nut an inch long bur they were not yet ripe for 1 i harvest. The frost had to be. kept off as they were very; susceptible to frost, said Mr Dobson. "I planted them at the beginning of spring. Ij shelled the nuts and planted them four or five inches! deep,” he said. ■ The plants look very 1 much like clover and have ' stayed green all season. Yel- : low flowers appeared about! three months after planting. This is the first time that,

Mr Dobson has grown pea-! ! nuts in Rangiora but he| I grew them successfully! ! while stationed at Ashbur-j .ton. Mr Dobson this season , has also successfully trans- 1 ! planted his peanuts to a 1 warmer bed after they had : struck. Mr D. Livingstone, who has had to withstand some; neighbourly ribbing, has not, had as much success as Mr! Dobson. Only five of the 25 ; nuts he planted have grown. ' This may be because theyj were planted in heavy, hard,!' old swamp soil. The remain- ;| Ing five are flourishing. Ash well as having two nuts in- ; I side, the shells have a fleshy lining at present. I