Divisi
When to plant Bambara groundnut in Meru
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 | 7 Sep 2026 – 27 Sep 2026 closed for this season | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.8 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 6 Dec 2026 to 16 Mar 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 meets its needs | 90% | |
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 17 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Meru 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 27 Sep 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Meru
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For bambara groundnut in Meru, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 season in Meru
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to June 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,128 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 451 mm in the driest of 9 districts to about 1,128 mm in the wettest |
| Rainy seasons, district by district | Of 9 districts: one rainy season in 2 and two rainy seasons in 7 |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and 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 +0.9 °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 | 7 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 24% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 205 growing days · about 890 mm · September to January |
|---|---|
| 16% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 146 growing days · about 560 mm · October to January |
| 10% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 107 growing days · about 410 mm · October to December |
| 8% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 257 growing days · about 1,200 mm · September to June |
| 7% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 256 growing days · about 1,440 mm · September to June |
| 7% | 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 1,280 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 331 growing days · about 950 mm · March to January |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 9 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Meru
| Planting material | About 125,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 90 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 45 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 Meru 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 Meru?
Meru rates as favourable for bambara groundnut.
When should I plant bambara groundnut in Meru?
Typically 7 Sep 2026 to 27 Sep 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Meru, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
