Divisi
When to plant Cassava in Kisumu
Kenya
Known here as muhogo
Cassava is a hardy, woody shrub grown for its fat, starchy roots — a food that grows where little else will.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 10 Feb 2026 – 21 Jan 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 21.8–24.6 t/ha | about 32.4 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 240–730 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 103–180 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 89% | |
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 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Kisumu 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 21 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kisumu
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For cassava in Kisumu, 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 Kisumu
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to January 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,160 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 972 mm in the driest of 7 districts to about 1,225 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, 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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 82% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 323 growing days · about 1,030 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,320 mm · December to December |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 327 growing days · about 1,060 mm · February to January |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 7 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What cassava needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 100 cm between rows, 100 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and zinc |
What it takes to grow cassava in Kisumu
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 121 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 62 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 172 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 | 103–180 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cassava 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 Cassava with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kisumu 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.
Cassava 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 cassava grow well in Kisumu?
Kisumu rates as favourable for cassava.
When should I plant cassava in Kisumu?
Typically 10 Feb 2026 to 21 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kisumu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
