When to plant African nightshade in Aconibe
Wele-Nzas, Guinea Ecuatorial
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 9 Aug 2026 – 21 May 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 11.4 t/ha | about 20.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 8 Oct 2026 to 18 Sep 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 29 Aug 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Aconibe 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 21 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Aconibe
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For african nightshade in Aconibe, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 season in Aconibe
| When the rains are expected | August 2026 to August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,963 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry. Plant at the early end of the window and favour quicker, more drought-tolerant crops. |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, 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 90% of this area. |
| 90% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,910 mm · August to August |
|---|---|
| 10% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 363 growing days · about 1,880 mm · August to August |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% 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 Aconibe
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 46 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 9 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 57 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 Aconibe 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.
Or check your field firstAfrican nightshade 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 nightshade grow well in Aconibe?
Aconibe rates as favourable for african nightshade.
When should I plant african nightshade in Aconibe?
Typically 9 Aug 2026 to 21 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Aconibe, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.