Divisi
When to plant Cucumber in Balcad
Middle Shabelle, Somalia
Cucumber is a fast, thirsty climbing vine grown for its crisp young fruit — picked small and often, before the seeds inside go hard.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 6 Oct 2026 – 26 Oct 2026 opens in 1 week | 10 Jun 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 16.9–20.9 t/ha | about 37.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 20 Nov 2026 to 4 Jan 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 meets its needs | 84% | |
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 16 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Balcad yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 26 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Balcad
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For cucumber in Balcad, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in Balcad
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to December 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 447 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — October and November look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| 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 short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 40% of this area. |
| 40% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 116 growing days · about 430 mm · October to December |
|---|---|
| 29% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 400 mm · October to December |
| 24% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 126 growing days · about 470 mm · April to June |
| 3% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 360 mm |
last updated 16 September 2026
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 Balcad
| Nitrogen (N) | About 38 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 21 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 63 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 Balcad 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.
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 cucumber grow well in Balcad?
Balcad rates as favourable for cucumber.
When should I plant cucumber in Balcad?
Typically 6 Oct 2026 to 26 Oct 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Balcad, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
