Divisi
When to plant Common bean in Kongo-Central
République démocratique du Congo
Known here as maharage · maharagwe · haricot
The common bean is the number-one grain legume that people in East and Southern Africa eat straight from the pot — as dry beans (a pulse) or as fresh green/snap pods.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 22 Sep 2026 – 18 Apr 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.2 t/ha | about 3.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 6 Dec 2026 to 16 Aug 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 75–120 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 81–185 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 4 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kongo-Central 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 18 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kongo-Central
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For common bean in Kongo-Central, 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 Kongo-Central
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to July 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,450 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 1,228 mm in the driest of 12 districts to about 1,498 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, September, 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 +1.4 °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. |
| 54% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 292 growing days · about 1,330 mm · September to July |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 302 growing days · about 1,450 mm · September to July |
| 20% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 296 growing days · about 1,390 mm · September to July |
last updated 1 October 2026 · from all 12 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What common bean needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam, silt loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 50 cm between rows, 10 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus |
What it takes to grow common bean in Kongo-Central
| Planting material | About 175,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 73 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 24 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 37 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job. |
| Hand work | 81–185 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a common bean 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 Common bean with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kongo-Central 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.
Common bean 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 common bean grow well in Kongo-Central?
Kongo-Central rates as favourable for common bean.
When should I plant common bean in Kongo-Central?
Typically 22 Sep 2026 to 18 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kongo-Central, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
