Divisi
When to plant Cabbage in Kalulushi
Copperbelt, Zambia
Known here as kabichi
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 | 22 Mar 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 opens in 25 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 48.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 21 May 2027 to 7 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 22 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kalulushi is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 20 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kalulushi
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For cabbage in Kalulushi, 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 2026/27 season in Kalulushi
| 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 1,171 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,171 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 96% of this area. |
| 96% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 184 growing days · about 1,180 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 183 growing days · about 1,190 mm · October to April |
last updated 16 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 Kalulushi
| Planting material | About 40,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 146 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 34 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 146 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 Kalulushi 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
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 Kalulushi?
Kalulushi rates as favourable for cabbage.
When should I plant cabbage in Kalulushi?
Typically 22 Mar 2027 to 20 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kalulushi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
