Divisi
When to plant African eggplant in Ceel Dheer
Galgaduud, Somalia
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.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 35.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 21 Apr 2026 to 6 May 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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Ceel Dheer 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 1 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ceel Dheer
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For african eggplant in Ceel Dheer, the soil is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 season in Ceel Dheer
| Rain in a typical year | About 294 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, 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 97% of this area. |
| 97% | 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 |
|---|---|
| 3% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 240 mm |
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 Ceel Dheer
| Planting material | About 12,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 105 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 158 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 Ceel Dheer 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.
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 Ceel Dheer?
Ceel Dheer rates as favourable for african eggplant.
When should I plant african eggplant in Ceel Dheer?
Typically 21 Jan 2026 to 1 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ceel Dheer, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.