When to plant Cucumber in Abalak
Tahoua, Niger
Cucumber is a fast, thirsty climbing vine grown for its crisp young fruit — picked small and often, before the seeds inside go hard.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 17 Nov 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 opens in 7 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 32.8 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 1 Jan 2027 to 12 Mar 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 45–70 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 120–247 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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Abalak is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Abalak
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 60% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For cucumber in Abalak, the soil is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 season in Abalak
| Rain in a typical year | About 202 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 202 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 17 September 2026
The soil holds back about 20% of yield here.
What cucumber needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8 |
| Rain it needs | About 1,000–1,200 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 150 cm between rows, 40 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow cucumber in Abalak
| Nitrogen (N) | About 59 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 33 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 98 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 | 120–247 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cucumber 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 Cucumber with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Abalak 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.
Or check your field firstThis 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 cucumber grow well in Abalak?
Abalak rates as favourable for cucumber.
When should I plant cucumber in Abalak?
Typically 17 Nov 2026 to 1 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Abalak, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.