Divisi
When to plant Beetroot in Derna
East, Libya
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 23 Oct 2026 – 12 Nov 2026 opens in 3 weeks | 21 Jan 2027 – 10 Jun 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 18.0–19.2 t/ha | about 40.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 17 Dec 2026 to 10 Feb 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 meets its needs | 92% | |
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 2 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Derna is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 12 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Derna
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For beetroot in Derna, 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 Derna
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to March 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 388 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 388 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 10% of this area. |
| 89% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 60 mm |
|---|---|
| 10% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 121 growing days · about 300 mm · November to March |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% 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 Derna
| Planting material | About 300,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 56 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 19 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 94 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 Derna 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.
Beetroot 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 beetroot grow well in Derna?
Derna rates as favourable for beetroot.
When should I plant beetroot in Derna?
Typically 23 Oct 2026 to 12 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Derna, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
