Divisi
When to plant African nightshade in West
Libya
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 | 20 Oct 2026 – 30 Oct 2026 opens in 3 weeks | 2 Mar 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 10.4 t/ha | about 25.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 19 Dec 2026 to 27 Feb 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 meets its needs | 60% | |
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 30 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for West is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 30 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in West
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For african nightshade in West, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in West
| Rain in a typical year | About 203 mm in a typical farming district |
|---|---|
| Across its districts | From about 91 mm in the driest of 9 districts to about 298 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 203 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 9 areas within it
Limited water holds back about 40% 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 West
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 42 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 8 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 52 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 West 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 West?
West rates as favourable for african nightshade.
When should I plant african nightshade in West?
Typically 20 Oct 2026 to 30 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across West, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
