Divisi
When to plant Cotton in iLembe
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Known here as katoen
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 | 8 Oct 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 opens in 1 week | 20 Jul 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.9 t/ha | about 3.3 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 Mar 2027 to 5 Jul 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 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 17 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for iLembe is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 7 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in iLembe
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For cotton in iLembe, 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 2025 season in iLembe
| When the rains are expected | July 2025 to July 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 974 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 974 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 54% of this area. |
| 54% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 365 growing days · about 930 mm · July to July |
|---|---|
| 33% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 273 growing days · about 870 mm · August to June |
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 264 growing days · about 830 mm · September to May |
| 6% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 365 growing days · about 930 mm · July to July |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% of yield here.
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 iLembe
| Planting material | About 80,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 53 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 27 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 57 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 iLembe 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.
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 iLembe?
iLembe rates as favourable for cotton.
When should I plant cotton in iLembe?
Typically 8 Oct 2026 to 7 Dec 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across iLembe, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
