Divisi
When to plant Coconut in Chake Chake
Kusini Pemba, United Republic of Tanzania
Known here as mnazi · nazi · dafu
The coconut is the coast's tree of life — a tall palm you plant once and pick from for 60 to 80 years.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 3 Sep 2026 – 23 Sep 2026 closed for this season | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 2.0–2.2 t/ha | about 3.2 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 330–365 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. | |
| Work it takes | 80–177 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 95% | |
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 23 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Chake Chake 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 23 Sep 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Chake Chake
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For coconut in Chake Chake, 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 Chake Chake
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to August 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,382 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — 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 +1.1 °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 the largest that farms — about 71% of this area. |
| 71% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 316 growing days · about 1,410 mm · September to August |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 319 growing days · about 1,470 mm · September to August |
| 10% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 278 growing days · about 1,040 mm · September to July |
last updated 16 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What coconut needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sand or sandy loam |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 800 cm between rows, 800 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and magnesium |
What it takes to grow coconut in Chake Chake
| Planting material | About 150 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 77 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 | 80–177 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a coconut 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 Coconut with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Chake Chake 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 Coconut nearby
Coconut 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 coconut grow well in Chake Chake?
Chake Chake rates as favourable for coconut.
When should I plant coconut in Chake Chake?
Typically 3 Sep 2026 to 23 Sep 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Chake Chake, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
