Divisi
When to plant Amaranth in Ambatolampy
Vakinankaratra, Madagascar
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 | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 27 Sep 2026 – 11 Dec 2026 open now | 18 Sep 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 15.6 t/ha | about 23.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 27 Oct 2026 to 10 May 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-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 11 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ambatolampy 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 11 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ambatolampy
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For amaranth in Ambatolampy, 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 2026/27 season in Ambatolampy
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to July 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,517 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 +1.2 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 34% of this area. |
| 34% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 283 growing days · about 1,390 mm · October to July |
|---|---|
| 29% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 328 growing days · about 1,400 mm · October to September |
| 15% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 243 growing days · about 1,370 mm · October to June |
| 15% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 198 growing days · about 1,320 mm · October to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% 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 Ambatolampy
| Nitrogen (N) | About 62 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 78 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 Ambatolampy 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 Ambatolampy?
Ambatolampy rates as favourable for amaranth.
When should I plant amaranth in Ambatolampy?
Typically 27 Sep 2026 to 11 Dec 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ambatolampy, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
