When to plant African eggplant in Santo Antonio das Pombas

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African eggplant

Paul, Cabo Verde

African eggplant (garden egg, bitter tomato, ngogwe, nakati) is a tough, home-grown cousin of tomato and eggplant, grown two ways at once — for its round fruit, which is often pleasantly bitter, and for its soft, tasty leaves.

African eggplant in Santo Antonio das Pombas, rain-fed and with irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 21 May 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 opens in 33 weeks
Expected harvest about 20.3 t/ha
Harvest From 19 Aug 2027 to 2 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 90–125 days after planting
Work it takes 108–233 days per hectare, by hand

Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.

If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 21 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Santo Antonio das Pombas is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.

Planting after 30 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Santo Antonio das Pombas

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 45%

For african eggplant in Santo Antonio das Pombas, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. You cannot flatten it, but you can farm it: plant along the contour rather than up and down, ridge or tie ridges to hold water on the slope, and expect shallower rooting than the crop would manage on flat ground.

The 2026 season in Santo Antonio das Pombas

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedAugust 2026 to November 2026
Rain in a typical yearAbout 459 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 459 mm falling roughly when it always does
What that supportsenough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 62% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
62% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 111 growing days · about 450 mm · August to November
25% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 96 growing days · about 400 mm · August to November
12% too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 300 mm · August to October

last updated 16 September 2026

Sloping ground holds back about 45% of yield here.

What african eggplant needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained sandy loam or loam soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8
Spacing 90 cm between rows, 90 cm between plants
Feed it most with nitrogen and potassium

What it takes to grow african eggplant in Santo Antonio das Pombas

Planting materialAbout 12,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 61 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 16 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 91 kg per hectare
In the shopsA basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established.
Hand work108–233 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a african eggplant crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.

What to watch for

Pest/disease risk — manageableSoil pH below the crop's optimumSteep slope

Grow African eggplant with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Santo Antonio das Pombas as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.

Or check your field first

This calendar moves

Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.

Frequently asked questions

Will african eggplant grow well in Santo Antonio das Pombas?

Santo Antonio das Pombas rates as favourable for african eggplant.

When should I plant african eggplant in Santo Antonio das Pombas?

Typically 21 May 2027 to 30 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Santo Antonio das Pombas, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Santo Antonio das Pombas

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.