Establishing Perennial Peanut - Lawn Alternative Ground Cover for Florida

[@michaelstern8657]

I feed the forage cultivar to my horses. Have done so for many years. I get it direct from the farm and the farmers use this as their ground cover at home. After all, who has time for mowing grass when you’re too busy working the fields 😂. It is a pretty and practical way to maintain your lawn. I wouldn’t mind covering my lawn in perennial peanut.

[@walterbryan1798]

Looks good! Considering replacing part of my lawn with it. FDOT planted a bunch of it in landscape islands at the interstate exit nearest to me and I have watched it grow and thrive over the last several years.

[@jimhartt4129]

Great video as always!

[@VickySRQ]

Admire it when l pickup orders. Failing with mine - thanks for telling us the mulch helps!

[@SulcataGrove]

Hope you are able to get it established at your place.

[@KatyKat31]

I live in 10a (St. Petersburg). I am in love with the idea of turning my sandy/weedy backyard into a perennial peanut field. Right now what I have is a big collection of weeds and grasses. Motley assortment with some sandy patches. I’m new to all of this so I didn’t realize that I had to kill everything existing to start the peanut. I heard you say a flamethrower which sounds super cool but of course I don’t have that. How do I kill off an acre of what I have quickest and cheapest to start the peanut journey?

[@camcam2457]

I live in South Florida on the East Coast and the soil is not too sandy. There is a lot of dirt in my back and front yard. I planted the peanut for my flower bed and noticed within about six months that it was growing up into the yard. Now fast forward to three years later and I have peanut everywhere. It just doesn’t stop. I love it; it looks great. I don’t have to mow it as often but it’s getting into my backyard and I know it’s going to eventually grow under my fence into my neighbor yard and he has a beautiful lawn. I don’t want to encroach on his lawn but II think it’s almost impossible to stop it. If you don’t have any area around you that you would be concerned with. You only need to plant a few of them in the yard and eventually takes over. Mine is actually taken over in the front yard so much that I only have a little bit of grass that grows up in between, and I barely have any weeds. When I initially planted it, it was not my intention for it to grow over the yard, I didn’t remove any of the grass or the weeds and it took over. It’s that strong of a plant. The roots grow deep and it will be hard to remove. So that’s only thing I would tell you as long as you don’t mind where it grows go for it.

[@Dru2024x]

I'm also in St Pete and in the same situation. Did you have any luck?

[@camcam2457]

@@Dru2024x yes. I didn’t remove all the old weeds. I just planted a few in my flower bed and they took over. And some parts of my yard they completely took over with very little of anything else other than peanut. In other parts, the weed seem to be trying to compete them, but the peanut plan is very vigorous at least in South Florida. I mow it, but I try to mow high because I don’t want it. Mow it too short and screw it up. It’s a great alternative to grass. I never water it. The only thing I would say is a can creep into your neighbors yards because it’s very vigorous and if you have a neighbor who is connected to your grass, it will eventually take over and they may not be too happy.

[@ScottHamiltonMusic]

We have landscape material all through the backyard covered with mulch. We were thinking about perennial peanut. Do you think we need to take up the landscape material first before we do that?

[@SulcataGrove]

@@ScottHamiltonMusic Yes! I would.

[@jester9159]

Hello. Out of curiosity have you had any experience with the Frogfruit plant as a ground cover alternative? I'm asking because your method of using the mulch intrigues me since I had a bare spot JUST like that (sandy and all here in my part of Florida, too) and the Frogfruit really didn't take off. Then again I didn't prep the ground at all except dug a hole and slapped some in the ground that I had cultivated in a pot with some potting soil ( and it doubled in size within a week in the pot...) So I wonder if that method would have similar success like it did with the perennial peanut?

[@SulcataGrove]

@@jester9159 frogfruit showed up in our yard on its own and has grown well in Sandy areas, but really takes off in areas where we have had mulch for a few years. Native ground covers are my favorites as they attract native insects and frogfruit is a host plant for several butterfly species.

[@jester9159]

​@SulcataGrove Hey, thanks for the reply. Would you recommend one over the other? I like the idea of the peanut, although I'd prefer a lower-lying ground cover. BUT the frogfruit doesn't seem as, um, tenacious with growth...relative to perennial peanut.

[@SulcataGrove]

@@jester9159 I think planting a combination works well, to see which does best. I have frogfruit, peanut, and sunshine mimosa. Peanut and frogfruit (when thriving), seem to keep out weeds the best.

[@robinvaccai]

I would love to replace my front lawn (on top of septic system) with perennial peanut. I attempted to add to a mulch bed at very front of yard before drainage utility easement and the rabbits ate every bit of it. Any advice on keeping rabbits away and if I plant enough of it, i.e., the whole front lawn, will it survive the rabbits?

[@SulcataGrove]

@@robinvaccai I do not have any advice on controlling rabbit populations. With recent development around my property, the population of rabbits has exploded. I haven’t noticed any harm to the perennial peanut, but we have a lot of it throughout the yard. Bobcats used to keep the rabbit population in check.

[@KatieIngram]

Planted a year ago, and now getting weeds. Didn’t mulch, didn’t see your video until after I planted. Pulling them by hand is getting out of control. What weed and feed can I use on peanut?

[@SulcataGrove]

@@KatieIngram I am not familiar with any weed and feed producers or herbicides. I am having to dig out torpedo grass that made its way into one area.

[@chrisz.9974]

So the perennial peanut will readily root in the mulch? I have my backyard mulched a bit. So I can expect it to spread without much work?

[@SulcataGrove]

We plant rooted pieces in the soil with mulch on top of the soil. It will need some water to establish if there is no rain for the first couple of weeks. Hand water with a hose right after planting.

[@camcam2457]

@@chrisz.9974 my peanut grew right under the mulch and came right up through it. If it’s in the rain environment, it grows very well.

[@FurFeathersandFlowers]

I've been wanting to do this for some time now and found your video very helpful. I'm in Tarpon Springs and would like to get started now. Do you think I should wait til spring or just get some plugs and go for it now?

[@SulcataGrove]

The green growth of peanut can die back during freezes, but the plant will send out new leaves afterwards. You could plant now or use this time to remove existing grass and weeds and mulch the area well before planting in spring.

[@FurFeathersandFlowers]

Sounds like a plan. Thanks so much.@@SulcataGrove

[@mcanultymichelle]

So you are saying peanut ground cover is safe to put over a septic field?? I’m going to see if I can find some plugs and try this. Thanks for the idea.

[@SulcataGrove]

@@mcanultymichelle according to IFAS it is okay. Here is the article water.ifas.ufl.edu/media/waterifasufledu/septic-systems/landscaping-tips-septic-system.pdf

[@CTK339]

My sunshine mimosa seems to out compete the peanut where I have it mixed

[@SulcataGrove]

Thank you! We will give it a try.

[@deniseinflorida6624]

I put out 120 plants over bare dirt (and) here in Central Florida. Grass and weeds are encroaching. Should I mulch it now? Dig out all the weedy grass first? I don't want my peanut to be drowned out!

[@SulcataGrove]

I would pull all of the weeds that you can (and dig out any torpedo grass) and then mulch. The peanut can grow up through the mulch, so don’t worry if you bury a bit of it.

[@deniseinflorida6624]

@@SulcataGrove thank you so much. I've called for the nursery that planted it to come help me. I'll spread mulch after it's clean. So excited to have the peanut instead of the ugly that was here

[@deniseinflorida6624]

Me again. The weeds and grass are wicked. The peanut is doing well with 2x a day watering because of no rain here in S Hillsborough County. Yard has mulch. Too much water? Any advice at this point? Thanks

[@SulcataGrove]

@@deniseinflorida6624 I dig weeds regularly when establishing in an area with plugs and just keep adding mulch to weeded areas.

[@deniseinflorida6624]

@@SulcataGrove thank you so much.

[@performance140]

First, thank you for this amazing video. A great help on a topic with not enough info out there. How far apart would you plant these? I am buying some gallon plants of Ecoturf and want to cover a yard. Have a lot of weeds and grass. Going to mow it down and then use your technique. Will I have a better chance if I have cardboard or weed mat under and then put the mulch and plants or do you think mulch alone can beat the weeds and give the perennial peanut a chance? I am south of Miami in the Cutler Bay area.

[@SulcataGrove]

It’s best to get rid of the grass and weeds first before planting. We had weedcloth down for 6+ months before planting the area in this video. In our front circle, we mulched about 8-12” deep for a year, and then planted. That area was mostly just sand and a few non aggressive weeds. Torpedo and Bermuda grass and sedges have been the most difficult to kill off and need to be gone before planting peanut. Manual removal, tarpimg/weed cloth for 6-12 months, or chemical weed killer are the only ways I have found to kill those off. I tried 4 layers of cardboard and 18” of mulch in one spot, and the torpedo grass made its way up in a year and now is more difficult to dig out. We will be tarping with commercial weed cloth in that area next. The weed cloth/tarp is removed before planting the peanut after all grass and weeds have been killed off. In some areas we have started with just one peanut plant, in others, we plant around 2-3’ apart and mulch well in all other areas.

[@camcam2457]

I live in West Palm Beach, and I only planted a few gallons in my flower bed and it has taken over my entire lawn. It takes a few years, so if you were to plant more, you’d probably have quite a bit of coverage in a year. I didn’t remove any grass or weeds. It just took over because it grows deeply in the soil and pushes up. You do have to be careful of neighbors because it will eventually grow under your fences and into other peoples yards which is what’s happening to me and I’m hoping my neighbors don’t get too pissed off because some of them have very beautiful hearts. It was not my intention when I initially planted it for her to do that.

[@dirtywhiteboy7922]

Every time we plant perennial peanut that rabbits eat them down to the roots and eventually they die, we tried it serval times. Mimosa Stringulosa works for us, not as dense though, but once established it really grows well without any rabbits eating it all up.

[@NatureDiets]

Same with me. I planted mimosa after rabbits ate all my perennial peanut. It works but it's not dense enough to smother other weeds

[@MarkTrades__]

how do you deal with weeds growing though it?

[@Robert-sz1xb]

Do your chickens eat the flowers from the peanut? I brought some samples from a local area and mine seemed to love the flowers. I free range my chickens soon like to find things for them to munch on.

[@SulcataGrove]

My chickens eat the entire plant as it works its way into their area.

[@camcam2457]

I don’t know if chickens would eat them, but the iguanas certainly do . For me I don’t have too many iguanas at this time so there’s no damage and the flowers grow back the next day. I’ll probably have 800 iguanas in my yard in a few years for the flowers.

[@jerrymillican5270]

Beautiful homestead! I’m researching ground covers at 71, it’s getting impossible for me to keep up with all the beds we have! Would you recommend using it as a filler over the pine bark mulch. We live on the ICW in Palm Coast, last year we had some salt water intrusion with the 2 hurricanes. Is it saltwater tolerant? Thank you for your excellent video!!!!!

[@SulcataGrove]

Thank you. It is said to be salt tolerant. It helps keep weeds off mulched areas.

[@ronnettaw]

I really want to do this, but it seems quite expensive? $3/plug? Would love a more affordable resource bc I love perennial peanut, and our yard is pretty clear right now from a recent septic system replacement. I live in Nassau. Thanks for the video!

[@SulcataGrove]

@@ronnettaw ours is all from one large size plug - around 1g pot size. It just takes time yo do it that way.

[@ronnettaw]

@@SulcataGrove thank you!!!

[@camcam2457]

I only planted a few gallons before it started to take over. You really don’t need much once it’s established it just keeps going on its own so maybe by 20 plugs at the most and just see what happens. You do need to water them when you first put them in for a bit if it’s hot my whole yard is a peanut plant and it’s taking over going into my neighbors yards

[@jacobwhite953]

Good stuff! I grew up and still live in Melrose on lake Santa Fe (just 15 miles East of Gainesville). I started growing bananas last year in the summer, which eventually led me to find KZbin channels like yours. Is the climate here where I’m at much different than your climate down South? I’m curious if I could be successful at fruiting bananas every year just like y’all? So far I have collected a Raja Puri, Dwarf Cavendish, Namwah, Grand Naine, Blue Java, and Truly Tiny Cavendish. I hope to acquire a Mysore or Pisang Ceylon and a SH3640 from the FHIA banana breeding program this year.

[@SulcataGrove]

A lot will depend on your microclimate. It rarely freezes where we live, and the two times it has in the last 13 years, it was only a few degrees below freezing for a couple of hours. I think bananas may be a lot more challenging to fruit where you are, but it’s possible, especially with protection (up next to the south wall of the house) or by potting up corms if it does freeze, and replanting in the spring. We grew raja puri in Archer for 15 years or so without protection or a good microclimate and they only fruited one year (and fruits were subpar). Satsumas and oranges thrived though. I wish we could grow satsumas in Sarasota.

[@jacobwhite953]

@@SulcataGrove that’s what I worried about; though it seems like it doesn’t get as cold as it used to. We do have a few nights that get into the high twenties, but it’s very seldom. Living right by the lake really does keep the area I live in what seems to be 5-7 degrees warmer than what inner Gainesville is on any given cold night. I will just have to wait and see come this year and the coming years what I can do with bananas. I know a guy in Micanopy who works/grows bananas at the Mosswood Farm Store. He gets loads of bunches of bananas every year. Micanopy is close by so that gives me hope. It’s funny you mention Satsumas. I have one on my property that was here long before I was. It really is the perfect climate for them. They have to be my favorite tasting oranges of all time.

[@SulcataGrove]

@@jacobwhite953 if they do well, it may be worth adding dwarf Namwa, dwarf Orinoco, praying hands, and sweetheart. These all have handled the cold better than some others. Saba too, but that one gets very tall.

[@extremebicy]

Hi sir, like very much your video, there’s no many videos on perennial peanuts, I’m a hay farmer from Dominican Republic and like to know where I can buy seeds to start a project on perennial peanuts, do you know the best variety for baling it? and what’s the best method of propagation? I would really love any information if you can provide it, best regards Eduardo

[@SulcataGrove]

We only grow the low growing ground cover. University of Florida or IFAS websites may have the info you are looking for.

[@aloeisthestuff9622]

I live on the Treasure Coast, across from you. I had some natural vegetation growing in my yard on purpose and Code enforcement Started Fining me because of some ridiculous yard max length BS. There are many things I hate about Florida.

[@SulcataGrove]

Florida statues prohibit HOAa and local governments from banning Florida friendly landscaping. They also can’t prohibit solar, rain barrels, and clotheslines. ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/ffl-and-you/community-management/florida-friendly-communities/#:~:text=Florida%20Statutes%20373.185%20State%20statute,prohibiting%20Florida%2DFriendly%20Landscaping™.

[@aloeisthestuff9622]

@@SulcataGrove Yet my property was accruing fines over it. Then the code enforcers went gestapo on my extra driveway and shed. Cost me almost 5 grand to them Communist scum. I R County! I dont have a few million to fight them.

[@extremebicy]

Forgot to tell you, I have a Sandy soil, and guns as a irrigation system 🙏

[@BryceGarling]

Lowes sells pinto peanut and home depot sells rhizoma peanut. Pinto isn't good because it gets diseases and builds nematode habitat. Yours looks like ecoturf rhizoma. It's a forage hay type and ornamental. Dual purpose variety. I planted 9 varieties here in Inverness right into the grass. Moving plugs into the yards of friends who have sandy dead lawns.

[@scottburgle4889]

Bryce, Where did you find 9 different varieties of perennial peanut? I can only find a couple varieties (ecoturf, brooksville 67, and brooksville 68 which are waxy leaf varieties). I’m located about an hour east of you near Leesburg so if you have any local names that stock it I’d be grateful! Thanks. Scott

[@BryceGarling]

@@scottburgle4889 I am opposite of you. I am West of leesburg. Only local place I know that sells it is Home Depot. I have theirs but it is not at all ecoturf as they label it. To get any satisfaction at all I had to drive up to Live Oak in north Florida to get mine. Was a long drive but I bought lots of it. The owners name is Jerry and you will want to talk to him if you want to more unusual stuff since they only advertise the basics. The business is called Sunset Specialty Groundcover. From him I got Tito, Cowboy, Brooksville 67, Brooksville 68. and ecoturf. I got Peace, arblick, and another type at random farms.

[@scottburgle4889]

@@BryceGarling thanks sooooo much. Cowboy is the variety I’ve been hoping to find. Will get in touch with jerry. Thanks again!

[@scottburgle4889]

@@BryceGarling do you have a favorite? I kinda like Cowboy but am wondering how well it’ll combat weeds?

[@BryceGarling]

@@scottburgle4889 I do not think perennial peanut is at all good at combating weeds. I had massive weed problems with it. I do not recommend by my experience clearing a place to plant it. All that did for me was make the weeds worse especially dove weed. I suggest planting it in your existing lawn or pasture and let it establish naturally. Especially in the bare spots. It will incorporate itself and after a few years if you mow it high enough it can help fight the weeds but never weed free. All from my personal experience and opinion. I personally really like the cowboy peanut. Took a few years to fill in. Now I have tons of it. I really like Arblick but not sure why. It has a very rounded leaf and vaguely resembles pinto even though it is still rhizoma. My other favorite is the one I got from home depot. It really integrates into lawns easily and really tolerates mowing and sand. I don't know the variety it is and nobody seems to be able to tell me. Ecoturf is nice but too common for me. Reason I say too common is because if diseases begin affecting perennial peanut we really need to make sure we have diversity.

[@purplelady5844]

What kind of mulch are you using ?

[@SulcataGrove]

Free mulch from local tree companies - usually oak, but occasionally some other woods.

[@purplelady5844]

@@SulcataGrove thank you I’m going to start my journey this spring with ecoturf