Divisi
When to plant African nightshade in Harbil
Setif, Algeria
African nightshade (Solanum scabrum — mnavu, managu, osuga, nsugga, umsobo) is one of Africa's most-loved traditional leafy vegetables: soft, dark, iron- and vitamin-rich leaves that cook down fast and sell steadily at market.
| Fit | Moderate |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 1 May 2027 – 29 Aug 2027 opens in 30 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 8.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 30 Jun 2027 to 27 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 103–191 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 Harbil is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 29 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Harbil
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 30% |
For african nightshade in Harbil, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 30%. 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 2026/27 season in Harbil
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 541 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 541 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 73% of this area. |
| 73% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 216 growing days · about 560 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 27% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 222 growing days · about 580 mm · September to May |
last updated 18 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 65% of yield here.
What african nightshade needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 40 cm between rows, 20 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow african nightshade in Harbil
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 34 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 7 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 42 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 | 103–191 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a african nightshade 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 nightshade with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Harbil 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 nightshade grow well in Harbil?
Harbil rates as moderate for african nightshade.
When should I plant african nightshade in Harbil?
Typically 1 May 2027 to 29 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Harbil, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
