Divisi
When to plant African eggplant in Pikine
Dakar, Sénégal
Known here as aubergine africaine · gilo
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 | 2 Jul 2027 – 22 Jul 2027 opens in 39 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 20.8 t/ha | about 32.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 30 Sep 2027 to 24 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 meets its needs | 90% | |
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 12 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Pikine 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 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Pikine
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For african eggplant in Pikine, 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 2027 season in Pikine
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | July 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 422 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September looks 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. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 50% of this area. |
| 50% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 99 growing days · about 410 mm · July to October |
|---|---|
| 50% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 93 growing days · about 390 mm · July to October |
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 Pikine
| Planting material | About 12,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 62 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 17 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 94 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 Pikine 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 Pikine?
Pikine rates as favourable for african eggplant.
When should I plant african eggplant in Pikine?
Typically 2 Jul 2027 to 22 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Pikine, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
