When to plant African nightshade in Province d Ifrane

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African nightshade

Fez Meknes, 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.

African nightshade in Province d Ifrane, rain-fed and with irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 21 May 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 opens in 33 weeks
Expected harvest about 20.7 t/ha
Harvest From 20 Jul 2027 to 7 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 30 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Province d Ifrane is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.

Planting after 9 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Province d Ifrane

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 76%
The lie of the land 60%

For african nightshade in Province d Ifrane, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Province d Ifrane

Rain in a typical yearAbout 320 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 320 mm falling roughly when it always does
What that supportsenough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date
Ground this covers2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 62% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
62% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 83 growing days · about 320 mm
34% enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 199 growing days · about 430 mm · October to April

last updated 17 September 2026

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 Province d Ifrane

Planting materialAbout 125,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 83 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 17 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 104 kg per hectare
In the shopsA 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 work103–191 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

Pest/disease risk — manageableSoil pH below the crop's optimum

Grow African nightshade with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Province d Ifrane 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 first

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 Province d Ifrane?

Province d Ifrane rates as favourable for african nightshade.

When should I plant african nightshade in Province d Ifrane?

Typically 21 May 2027 to 9 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Province d Ifrane, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Province d Ifrane

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.