Divisi
When to plant Beetroot in Santiago Maior
Santa Cruz, Cabo Verde
Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) is a cool-season root vegetable grown for its round, deep-red, sweet root — and its young leaves double as greens, cooked like spinach.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 7 Dec 2026 – 2 Mar 2027 opens in 10 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 31.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 31 Jan 2027 to 31 May 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 55–90 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 86–171 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.
No seasonal forecast reaches Santiago Maior yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 2 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Santiago Maior
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For beetroot in Santiago Maior, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 2027 season in Santiago Maior
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | July 2027 to November 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 343 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 343 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 67% of this area. |
| 67% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 97 growing days · about 340 mm · July to November |
|---|---|
| 33% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 88 growing days · about 300 mm · August to October |
last updated 1 October 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% of yield here.
What beetroot needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 35 cm between rows, 8 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and boron |
What it takes to grow beetroot in Santiago Maior
| Planting material | About 300,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 94 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 31 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 156 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 | 86–171 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a beetroot 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 Beetroot with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Santiago Maior 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.
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 beetroot grow well in Santiago Maior?
Santiago Maior rates as favourable for beetroot.
When should I plant beetroot in Santiago Maior?
Typically 7 Dec 2026 to 2 Mar 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Santiago Maior, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
