Divisi
When to plant African eggplant in Suba North
Homa Bay, Kenya
Known here as ngogwe
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 27 Jan 2027 – 12 Mar 2027 opens in 17 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 22.9 t/ha | about 35.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 27 Apr 2027 to 15 Jul 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 meets its needs | 92% | |
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 18 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Suba North leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 12 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Suba North
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For african eggplant in Suba North, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in Suba North
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to June 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 836 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 52% of this area. |
| 52% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 217 growing days · about 840 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 273 growing days · about 980 mm · February to January |
| 13% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 267 growing days · about 910 mm · February to December |
| 11% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 318 growing days · about 1,090 mm · February to January |
last updated 30 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Suba North
| Planting material | About 12,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 69 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 103 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A 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 work | 108–233 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
Grow African eggplant with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Suba North 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.
African eggplant in nearby districts
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 Suba North?
Suba North rates as favourable for african eggplant.
When should I plant african eggplant in Suba North?
Typically 27 Jan 2027 to 12 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Suba North, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
