Divisi
When to plant Garlic in Metsi-Maholo
Mafeteng, Lesotho
Garlic (Allium sativum) is grown for its compound bulb — the head that splits into the cloves you cook with.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 18 Jan 2027 – 28 Jan 2027 opens in 16 weeks | 30 Jun 2027 – 29 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 3.4 t/ha | about 18.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 May 2027 to 26 Aug 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 120–210 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 123–248 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 51% | |
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 28 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Metsi-Maholo 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 28 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Metsi-Maholo
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For garlic in Metsi-Maholo, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2026/27 season in Metsi-Maholo
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 583 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 +2.0 °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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 57% of this area. |
| 57% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 155 growing days · about 590 mm · November to May |
|---|---|
| 43% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 152 growing days · about 560 mm · December to May |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 50% of yield here.
What garlic needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.5 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 30 cm between rows, 10 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | sulphur, nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow garlic in Metsi-Maholo
| Nitrogen (N) | About 34 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 14 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 34 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 | 123–248 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a garlic 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 Garlic with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Metsi-Maholo 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.
Garlic 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 garlic grow well in Metsi-Maholo?
Metsi-Maholo rates as moderate for garlic.
When should I plant garlic in Metsi-Maholo?
Typically 18 Jan 2027 to 28 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Metsi-Maholo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
