Divisi
When to plant Avocado in Kericho
Kenya
Known here as parachichi · avokado
Avocado (Persea americana) is a big evergreen tree that, once settled, can bear fruit for decades — one of the highest-value crops a smallholder can grow, for fresh eating and for export.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 10 Feb 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 13.0 t/ha | about 18.5 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 82–181 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 2 Mar 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kericho is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 8 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kericho
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For avocado in Kericho, 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 Kericho
| When the rains are expected | December 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,493 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 1,189 mm in the driest of 6 districts to about 1,497 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,493 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.8 °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 one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 64% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,330 mm · December to December |
|---|---|
| 21% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 337 growing days · about 1,200 mm · February to January |
| 10% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 332 growing days · about 1,090 mm · February to January |
| 5% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 358 growing days · about 1,330 mm · February to January |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 6 areas within it
The soil holds back about 10% of yield here.
What avocado needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 800 cm between rows, 800 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, zinc and boron |
What it takes to grow avocado in Kericho
| Planting material | About 150 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 42 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 12 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 72 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 | 82–181 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a avocado 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 Avocado with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kericho 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.
Avocado 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 avocado grow well in Kericho?
Kericho rates as favourable for avocado.
When should I plant avocado in Kericho?
Typically 10 Feb 2026 to 8 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kericho, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
