Divisi
When to plant Banana in Mandritsara
Sofia, Madagascar
Banana and plantain are one giant perennial herb (Musa), not a tree — the tall 'trunk' is really rolled leaf-sheaths growing from an underground corm.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 23 Oct 2026 – 29 Jan 2027 opens in 3 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 25.7 t/ha | about 54.4 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 110–225 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 rainfall outlook for Mandritsara 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 29 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mandritsara
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For banana in Mandritsara, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 Mandritsara
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,560 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 +1.3 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 57% of this area. |
| 57% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 175 growing days · about 1,410 mm · November to April |
|---|---|
| 27% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 211 growing days · about 1,560 mm · October to May |
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 317 growing days · about 1,590 mm · October to September |
last updated 17 September 2026
What banana needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 250 cm between rows, 250 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen and magnesium |
What it takes to grow banana in Mandritsara
| Planting material | About 2,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 116 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 32 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 386 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 | 110–225 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a banana 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 Banana with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Mandritsara 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.
Banana 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 banana grow well in Mandritsara?
Mandritsara rates as favourable for banana.
When should I plant banana in Mandritsara?
Typically 23 Oct 2026 to 29 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mandritsara, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
