Divisi
When to plant Beetroot in Ber
Timbuktu, Mali
Known here as betterave
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 – 16 Dec 2026 opens in 10 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 37.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 31 Jan 2027 to 16 Mar 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 7 Dec 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ber is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 16 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ber
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For beetroot in Ber, 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 season in Ber
| Rain in a typical year | About 57 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 57 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 30 September 2026
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 Ber
| Planting material | About 300,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 111 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 37 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 186 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 Ber 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 Ber?
Ber rates as favourable for beetroot.
When should I plant beetroot in Ber?
Typically 7 Dec 2026 to 16 Dec 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ber, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.