Divisi
When to plant Amaranth in Lesotho
Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) is a fast, heat-loving plant that gives you two harvests from one crop — tender leaves and tiny grain.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 13 Oct 2026 – 2 Nov 2026 opens in 2 weeks | 1 Aug 2026 – 31 Mar 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 5.9 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 12 Nov 2026 to 1 Apr 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 | 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 2 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Lesotho yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 2 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Lesotho
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For amaranth in Lesotho, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 2026/27 season in Lesotho
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 628 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 572 mm in the driest of 78 districts to about 926 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, November and December 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 +2.0 °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. |
| 58% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 235 growing days · about 740 mm · September to May |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 157 growing days · about 620 mm · November to May |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 202 growing days · about 670 mm · October to May |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; cold for much of the year, with a short planting season 232 growing days · about 890 mm · September to April |
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 152 growing days · about 590 mm · November to May |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 78 areas within it
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 Lesotho
| Nitrogen (N) | About 24 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 6 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 30 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
Grow Amaranth with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Lesotho 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.
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 Lesotho?
Lesotho rates as moderate for amaranth.
When should I plant amaranth in Lesotho?
Typically 13 Oct 2026 to 2 Nov 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Lesotho, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
