Divisi
When to plant Cabbage in Central
Tigray, 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 | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 2 Jun 2027 – 2 Jul 2027 opens in 35 weeks | 10 Jun 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 19.8 t/ha | about 19.3 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 1 Aug 2027 to 19 Nov 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 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 12 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Central is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 2 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Central
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For cabbage in Central, 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 2027 season in Central
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | June 2027 to September 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 604 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 604 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.8 °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 all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 74% of this area. |
| 74% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 99 growing days · about 620 mm · June to September |
|---|---|
| 23% | 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 620 mm · June to September |
| 3% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 100 growing days · about 600 mm · June to September |
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 Central
| Planting material | About 40,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 59 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 14 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 59 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 Central 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 Central?
Central rates as moderate for cabbage.
When should I plant cabbage in Central?
Typically 2 Jun 2027 to 2 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Central, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
