Divisi
When to plant Beetroot in Antsirabe II
Vakinankaratra, Madagascar
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 | 19 Oct 2026 – 11 Mar 2027 opens in 3 weeks | 30 Jun 2026 – 11 Apr 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 27.8 t/ha | about 33.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 13 Dec 2026 to 9 Jun 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 5 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Antsirabe II 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 11 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Antsirabe II
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For beetroot in Antsirabe II, 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 2026/27 season in Antsirabe II
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to June 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,341 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, November and December 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 +1.2 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 51% of this area. |
| 51% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 247 growing days · about 1,330 mm · October to June |
|---|---|
| 23% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 289 growing days · about 1,360 mm · October to July |
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 310 growing days · about 1,380 mm · October to August |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 240 growing days · about 1,320 mm · October to June |
last updated 17 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Antsirabe II
| Planting material | About 300,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 83 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 139 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 Antsirabe II 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 Antsirabe II?
Antsirabe II rates as favourable for beetroot.
When should I plant beetroot in Antsirabe II?
Typically 19 Oct 2026 to 11 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Antsirabe II, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
