Divisi
When to plant Groundnut in Mbabane West
Hhohho, Eswatini
Groundnut (peanut) is a low, leafy legume that does something no other crop in your field does: it flowers above the ground, but then each fertilised flower sends a little stalk — a peg — down into the soil, and the nut grows and fills underground.
| Fit | Moderate |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 26 Aug 2026 – 25 Oct 2026 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 0.8 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 24 Nov 2026 to 24 Mar 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 71–126 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 19 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Mbabane West 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 25 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mbabane West
| Rain and temperature | 60% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For groundnut in Mbabane West, 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 Mbabane West
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to June 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,208 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, October, 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 +1.5 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 33% of this area. |
| 33% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 276 growing days · about 1,210 mm · September to June |
|---|---|
| 33% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 274 growing days · about 1,170 mm · September to June |
| 22% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 268 growing days · about 1,140 mm · September to June |
| 11% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 269 growing days · about 1,160 mm · September to June |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 50% of yield here.
What groundnut needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or sandy soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.9 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 45 cm between rows, 9 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus, potassium and calcium |
What it takes to grow groundnut in Mbabane West
| Planting material | About 247,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 8 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 24 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A 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 work | 71–126 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a groundnut 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 Groundnut with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Mbabane West 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.
Groundnut 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 groundnut grow well in Mbabane West?
Mbabane West rates as moderate for groundnut.
When should I plant groundnut in Mbabane West?
Typically 26 Aug 2026 to 25 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mbabane West, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
