When to plant Amaranth in West Coast

Gambia

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

Amaranth in West Coast, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure	Rain-fed	With irrigation
Fit	Favourable
When to plant	19 Jun 2027 – 8 Aug 2027 opens in 37 weeks	21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027
Expected harvest	about 18.5 t/ha	about 27.8 t/ha
Harvest	From 19 Jul 2027 to 5 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest	30–150 days after planting
Work it takes	78–163 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 29 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for West Coast leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.

Planting after 8 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in West Coast

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

For amaranth in West Coast, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.

The 2026 season in West Coast

Rainy seasons	One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expected	June 2026 to November 2026
Rain in a typical year	About 947 mm in a typical farming district
Across its districts	From about 796 mm in the driest of 9 districts to about 947 mm in the wettest
This season's rain	Leaning dry — September looks 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 +0.5 °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 all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers	2 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area.

Agro-ecological zones covering this area
78%	enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 161 growing days · about 900 mm · June to November
22%	enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 161 growing days · about 890 mm · June to November

last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 9 areas within it

Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 West Coast

Nitrogen (N)	About 74 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)	About 18 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)	About 92 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	78–163 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 — manageableEarly-maturing — escapes late drought

Grow Amaranth with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes West Coast 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

How to grow Amaranth, step by step Land preparation to harvest — every task, in order

Frequently asked questions

Will amaranth grow well in West Coast?

West Coast rates as favourable for amaranth.

When should I plant amaranth in West Coast?

Typically 19 Jun 2027 to 8 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

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