When to plant Groundnut in Nakuru Town West

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Groundnut

Nakuru, Kenya

Known here as karanga · njugu

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.

Groundnut in Nakuru Town West, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Moderate
When to plant 21 May 2026 – 11 Apr 2027 open now 20 Jul 2026 – 27 Dec 2026
Expected harvest about 0.9 t/ha same
Harvest From 19 Aug 2026 to 8 Sep 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 meets its needs 82%

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 10 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's outlook for Nakuru Town West 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 11 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Nakuru Town West

Rain and temperature 45%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 88%

For groundnut in Nakuru Town West, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 Nakuru Town West

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedMarch 2026 to December 2026
Rain in a typical yearAbout 810 mm
This season's rainLeaning wet — 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 +1.2 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 56% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
56% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 292 growing days · about 740 mm · March to December
39% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 291 growing days · about 720 mm · March to December
6% enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 302 growing days · about 810 mm · March to January

last updated 30 September 2026

Temperature holds back about 60% 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 Nakuru Town West

Planting materialAbout 247,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 50 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 27 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 work71–126 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

Pest/disease risk — manageable

Grow Groundnut with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Nakuru Town 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.

Or check your field first

Where to sell Groundnut nearby

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 Nakuru Town West?

Nakuru Town West rates as moderate for groundnut.

When should I plant groundnut in Nakuru Town West?

Typically 21 May 2026 to 11 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Nakuru Town 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.

Also worth considering in Nakuru Town West

Keep going

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