Divisi
When to plant Avocado in Dilolo
Lualaba, République démocratique du Congo
Known here as parachichi · avokado · avocat
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) | 16 Sep 2026 – 3 Feb 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 9.0 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 6 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Dilolo yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 3 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Dilolo
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For avocado in Dilolo, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2026/27 season in Dilolo
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,202 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,202 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 30 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 30% 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 Dilolo
| Planting material | About 150 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 29 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 9 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 50 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 Dilolo 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 Dilolo?
Dilolo rates as favourable for avocado.
When should I plant avocado in Dilolo?
Typically 16 Sep 2026 to 3 Feb 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Dilolo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
