When to plant Amaranth in Afder

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Amaranth

Somali, Ethiopia

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is a fast, heat-loving plant that gives you two harvests from one crop — tender leaves and tiny grain.

Amaranth in Afder, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 15 Mar 2027 – 4 Apr 2027 opens in 24 weeks 11 Apr 2027 – 30 Jun 2027
Expected harvest about 10.0 t/ha about 30.0 t/ha
Harvest From 14 Apr 2027 to 1 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 30–150 days after planting
Work it takes 78–163 days per hectare, by hand
Rain meets its needs 52%

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 25 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's outlook for Afder leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.

Planting after 4 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Afder

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

For amaranth in Afder, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. 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 2027 season in Afder

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedMarch 2027 to May 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 363 mm
This season's rainLeaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field.
What that supportsenough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 19% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
79% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 310 mm
19% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 102 growing days · about 390 mm · March to May

last updated 16 September 2026

Limited water holds back about 50% of yield here.

What amaranth needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained sandy loam or loam soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0
Spacing 10 cm between rows, 10 cm between plants
Feed it most with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium

What it takes to grow amaranth in Afder

Nitrogen (N)About 40 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 10 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 50 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 work78–163 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a amaranth 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 — manageableNot enough water in seasonSoil pH outside the crop's range

Grow Amaranth with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Afder 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

Amaranth 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 amaranth grow well in Afder?

Afder rates as favourable for amaranth.

When should I plant amaranth in Afder?

Typically 15 Mar 2027 to 4 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Afder, 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 Afder

Keep going

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