Divisi
When to plant Banana in Isu
Imo, Nigeria
Known here as ọ̀gẹ̀dẹ̀
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) | 21 Feb 2027 – 8 Aug 2027 opens in 20 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 27.8 t/ha | about 55.6 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 7 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Isu 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 8 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Isu
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For banana in Isu, 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 Isu
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 2,155 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October 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 +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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 86% of this area. |
| 86% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 313 growing days · about 2,150 mm · February to December |
|---|---|
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 312 growing days · about 2,120 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
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 Isu
| Planting material | About 2,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 125 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 35 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 417 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 Isu 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.
Where to sell Banana nearby
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 Isu?
Isu rates as favourable for banana.
When should I plant banana in Isu?
Typically 21 Feb 2027 to 8 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Isu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
