Divisi
When to plant Cabbage in Matungulu
Machakos, Kenya
Known here as kabichi · kabeji
Cabbage is a cool-season leafy vegetable that packs its whole harvest into one dense, round head on a short stem.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 21 May 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 opens in 33 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 41.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 20 Jul 2027 to 17 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-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 21 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Matungulu leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 30 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Matungulu
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For cabbage in Matungulu, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Matungulu
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to June 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 698 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 36% of this area. |
| 36% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 203 growing days · about 710 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 23% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 171 growing days · about 620 mm · February to May |
| 14% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 173 growing days · about 640 mm · October to January |
| 11% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 184 growing days · about 690 mm · February to June |
last updated 30 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 25% 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 Matungulu
| Planting material | About 40,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 123 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 29 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 123 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 Matungulu 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.
Where to sell Cabbage nearby
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 Matungulu?
Matungulu rates as favourable for cabbage.
When should I plant cabbage in Matungulu?
Typically 21 May 2027 to 30 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Matungulu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
