Divisi
When to plant Cassava in Siaya
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) | 30 Sep 2026 – 20 Oct 2026 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 26.9 t/ha | about 35.0 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 | 91% | |
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 30 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Siaya 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 20 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Siaya
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For cassava in Siaya, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2025/26 season in Siaya
| When the rains are expected | February 2025 to January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,156 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 760 mm in the driest of 6 districts to about 1,596 mm in the wettest |
| Rainy seasons, district by district | Of 6 districts: one rainy season in 1 and two rainy seasons in 1 |
| 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 | 5 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 46% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 360 growing days · about 1,470 mm · January to January |
|---|---|
| 37% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 210 growing days · about 780 mm · February to June |
| 8% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 234 growing days · about 890 mm · February to January |
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 213 growing days · about 800 mm · February to June |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 345 growing days · about 1,350 mm · February to January |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 6 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 Siaya
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 132 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 67 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 188 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 Siaya 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 Cassava nearby
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 Siaya?
Siaya rates as favourable for cassava.
When should I plant cassava in Siaya?
Typically 30 Sep 2026 to 20 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Siaya, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
