Divisi
When to plant African nightshade in Morocco
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 | 28 Sep 2026 – 18 Oct 2026 open now | 2 Mar 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | 11.7–14.2 t/ha | about 25.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 27 Nov 2026 to 15 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 | 75% | |
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 8 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Morocco is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 18 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Morocco
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For african nightshade in Morocco, 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 2026/27 season in Morocco
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 416 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 69 mm in the driest of 69 districts to about 831 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 416 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.7 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 5 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 49% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 110 mm |
|---|---|
| 18% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 151 growing days · about 310 mm · October to March |
| 16% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 207 growing days · about 490 mm · October to April |
| 10% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date no rain-fed season · about 260 mm |
| 3% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 160 mm |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 69 areas within it
Limited water holds back about 25% 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 Morocco
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 53 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 66 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 Morocco 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 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 Morocco?
Morocco rates as favourable for african nightshade.
When should I plant african nightshade in Morocco?
Typically 28 Sep 2026 to 18 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Morocco, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
