Divisi
When to plant Common bean in Bombali
Northern, Sierra Leone
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 | 5 Apr 2026 – 14 Oct 2026 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 2.3–2.4 t/ha | about 3.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 19 Jun 2026 to 11 Feb 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 17 Apr 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Bombali is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 14 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Bombali
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For common bean in Bombali, 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 2026 season in Bombali
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | April 2026 to December 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 2,598 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 2,598 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.8 °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 51% of this area. |
| 51% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 265 growing days · about 2,630 mm · April to December |
|---|---|
| 48% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 271 growing days · about 2,720 mm · March to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
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 Bombali
| Planting material | About 175,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 79 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 26 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 41 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 Bombali 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 Bombali?
Bombali rates as favourable for common bean.
When should I plant common bean in Bombali?
Typically 5 Apr 2026 to 14 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Bombali, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
