Divisi
When to plant Bambara groundnut in Bomet
Kenya
Known here as njugu mawe
Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is one of Africa's own beans — a tough, low, bushy plant, often grown by the women of the household on the poorest, sandiest land where maize would fail.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 9 Aug 2026 – 21 Jan 2027 open now | 18 Sep 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 1.4–1.6 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 7 Nov 2026 to 10 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–170 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 77–157 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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Bomet leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 21 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Bomet
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For bambara groundnut in Bomet, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2025 season in Bomet
| When the rains are expected | December 2025 to December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,038 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 1,038 mm in the driest of 5 districts to about 1,485 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| 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. |
| 84% | 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 1,200 mm · December to December |
|---|---|
| 8% | 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 1,390 mm · December to December |
| 5% | 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 1,200 mm · December to December |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 279 growing days · about 900 mm · September to July |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 5 areas within it
Temperature holds back about 20% of yield here.
What bambara groundnut needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 40 cm between rows, 15 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus and calcium |
What it takes to grow bambara groundnut in Bomet
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 80 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 40 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job. |
| Hand work | 77–157 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a bambara groundnut 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 Bambara groundnut with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Bomet 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.
Bambara groundnut 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 bambara groundnut grow well in Bomet?
Bomet rates as favourable for bambara groundnut.
When should I plant bambara groundnut in Bomet?
Typically 9 Aug 2026 to 21 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Bomet, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
