Divisi
When to plant Cabbage in Nkangala
Mpumalanga, South Africa
Known here as ikhabishi · ikhaphetshu · kool
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 | 9 Jan 2027 – 29 Jan 2027 opens in 14 weeks | 10 Feb 2027 – 29 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 27.4 t/ha | about 58.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 10 Mar 2027 to 18 Jun 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 | 69% | |
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 29 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Nkangala 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 29 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Nkangala
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For cabbage in Nkangala, 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 2026/27 season in Nkangala
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 768 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, October, 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 +1.7 °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, cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 47% of this area. |
| 47% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 202 growing days · about 690 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 28% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 188 growing days · about 640 mm · October to April |
| 15% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 195 growing days · about 660 mm · October to April |
| 11% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 155 growing days · about 540 mm · October to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 35% 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 Nkangala
| Planting material | About 40,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 82 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 19 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 82 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 Nkangala 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 Nkangala?
Nkangala rates as favourable for cabbage.
When should I plant cabbage in Nkangala?
Typically 9 Jan 2027 to 29 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Nkangala, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
