Divisi
When to plant Cabbage in Kelem Wellega
Oromia, Ethiopia
Known here as ጥቅል ጎመን (tikil gomen)
Cabbage is a cool-season leafy vegetable that packs its whole harvest into one dense, round head on a short stem.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 25 Apr 2027 – 30 Jul 2027 opens in 29 weeks | 1 Jan 2026 – 30 Sep 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 21.7 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 24 Jun 2027 to 17 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 60–140 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 118–211 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 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kelem Wellega is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 30 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kelem Wellega
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For cabbage in Kelem Wellega, 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 season in Kelem Wellega
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | April 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,238 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,238 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 57% of this area. |
| 57% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 224 growing days · about 1,110 mm · April to November |
|---|---|
| 39% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 230 growing days · about 1,240 mm · April to November |
last updated 16 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 45% of yield here.
What cabbage needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8 |
| Spacing | 65 cm between rows, 40 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | boron, molybdenum and calcium |
What it takes to grow cabbage in Kelem Wellega
| Planting material | About 40,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 65 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 65 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 | 118–211 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cabbage 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 Cabbage with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kelem Wellega 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.
Cabbage 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 cabbage grow well in Kelem Wellega?
Kelem Wellega rates as favourable for cabbage.
When should I plant cabbage in Kelem Wellega?
Typically 25 Apr 2027 to 30 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kelem Wellega, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
