Divisi
When to plant African eggplant in Ibadan North
Oyo, Nigeria
Known here as igba
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 | 19 Mar 2027 – 22 Aug 2027 opens in 24 weeks | 2 Mar 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 21.9 t/ha | about 30.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 17 Jun 2027 to 25 Dec 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 31 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ibadan North leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 22 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ibadan North
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For african eggplant in Ibadan North, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2026 season in Ibadan North
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,236 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.7 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 80% of this area. |
| 80% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 266 growing days · about 1,250 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 265 growing days · about 1,210 mm · March to November |
last updated 16 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 Ibadan North
| Planting material | About 12,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 66 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 99 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 Ibadan 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 Ibadan North?
Ibadan North rates as favourable for african eggplant.
When should I plant african eggplant in Ibadan North?
Typically 19 Mar 2027 to 22 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ibadan 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.
