When to plant Green gram in Runyenjes

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Green gram

Embu, Kenya

Known here as pojo · ndengu · mchooko

Green gram (also called mung bean or ndengu) is a fast, warm-weather bean that goes from seed to harvest in just 60–90 days — quick enough to dodge a dry spell and to slot in after your maize, sorghum or millet.

Green gram in Runyenjes, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 18 Jan 2027 – 17 Feb 2027 opens in 16 weeks 29 Aug 2026 – 10 Feb 2027
Expected harvest about 0.9 t/ha about 1.6 t/ha
Harvest From 19 Mar 2027 to 18 May 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 60–90 days after planting
Work it takes 60–124 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 2 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's outlook for Runyenjes leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.

Planting after 17 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Runyenjes

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 76%
The lie of the land 45%

For green gram in Runyenjes, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 Runyenjes

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedSeptember 2026 to July 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 1,172 mm
This season's rainLeaning wet — January, February, October, November and December 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 heatHotter than usual — about +0.9 °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 supportsenough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 39% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
39% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 253 growing days · about 1,130 mm · September to July
32% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 355 growing days · about 1,820 mm · February to January
11% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,670 mm · January to December
5% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 365 growing days · about 1,710 mm · January to December

last updated 30 September 2026

Sloping ground holds back about 35% of yield here.

What green gram needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained loam or sandy loam soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5
Spacing 37 cm between rows, 10 cm between plants
Feed it most with phosphorus

What it takes to grow green gram in Runyenjes

Nitrogen (N)About 36 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 9 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 16 kg per hectare
In the shopsA basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job.
Hand work60–124 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a green gram 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

Pest/disease risk — manageableSoil pH below the crop's optimumSteep slope

Grow Green gram with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Runyenjes 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 first

Where to sell Green gram nearby

Green gram 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 green gram grow well in Runyenjes?

Runyenjes rates as favourable for green gram.

When should I plant green gram in Runyenjes?

Typically 18 Jan 2027 to 17 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Runyenjes, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Runyenjes

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.