Divisi
When to plant Egusi melon in Tassala El Merdja
Alger, Algeria
Egusi is a trailing melon vine — a cousin of the watermelon — but you do not grow it for the fruit.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 21 May 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 opens in 33 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 1.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 19 Aug 2027 to 17 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 50–108 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 21 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Tassala El Merdja leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 20 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Tassala El Merdja
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For egusi melon in Tassala El Merdja, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2026/27 season in Tassala El Merdja
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 610 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, November and December look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.1 °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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 80% of this area. |
| 80% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 227 growing days · about 620 mm · September to May |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 229 growing days · about 640 mm · September to May |
last updated 18 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What egusi melon needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Rain it needs | About 600–1,400 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 150 cm between rows, 150 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and phosphorus |
What it takes to grow egusi melon in Tassala El Merdja
| Nitrogen (N) | About 42 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 14 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 14 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 | 50–108 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a egusi melon 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 Egusi melon with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Tassala El Merdja 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 egusi melon grow well in Tassala El Merdja?
Tassala El Merdja rates as favourable for egusi melon.
When should I plant egusi melon in Tassala El Merdja?
Typically 21 May 2027 to 20 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Tassala El Merdja, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
