Divisi
When to plant African nightshade in Xhariep
Free State, South Africa
Known here as umsobo · nastergal
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 | 15 Jan 2027 – 14 Feb 2027 opens in 15 weeks | 18 Sep 2026 – 10 Feb 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 9.1 t/ha | about 25.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 16 Mar 2027 to 14 Jun 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 | 53% | |
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 14 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Xhariep yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 14 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Xhariep
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For african nightshade in Xhariep, 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 Xhariep
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to April 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 438 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January and February look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +2.3 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 15% of this area. |
| 67% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 390 mm |
|---|---|
| 15% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 119 growing days · about 520 mm · December to May |
| 13% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 87 growing days · about 490 mm · January to April |
| 5% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 400 mm |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 50% 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 Xhariep
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 36 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 7 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 46 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 Xhariep 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 Xhariep?
Xhariep rates as favourable for african nightshade.
When should I plant african nightshade in Xhariep?
Typically 15 Jan 2027 to 14 Feb 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Xhariep, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
