Divisi
When to plant Cotton in Kasungu
Central, Malawi
Known here as thonje
Cotton is grown for one thing: the soft white fibre — the lint — that grows wrapped around the seeds inside a pod called a boll.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 25 Oct 2026 – 24 Nov 2026 opens in 3 weeks | 20 Jul 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.2 t/ha | about 3.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 24 Mar 2027 to 22 Jun 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 150–210 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 91–187 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 25 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kasungu is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 24 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kasungu
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For cotton in Kasungu, 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 Kasungu
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 879 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 879 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 one short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 93% of this area. |
| 93% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 165 growing days · about 850 mm · November to April |
|---|---|
| 7% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 196 growing days · about 1,000 mm · November to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
What cotton needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 90 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium and boron |
What it takes to grow cotton in Kasungu
| Planting material | About 80,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 62 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 31 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 66 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 | 91–187 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cotton 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 Cotton with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kasungu 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 Cotton nearby
Cotton 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 cotton grow well in Kasungu?
Kasungu rates as favourable for cotton.
When should I plant cotton in Kasungu?
Typically 25 Oct 2026 to 24 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kasungu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
