Divisi
When to plant Groundnut in Cacadu
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Known here as intongomane · grondboon
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 6 Sep 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 open now | 29 Aug 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.8 t/ha | about 2.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 5 Dec 2026 to 7 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 meets its needs | 64% | |
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 8 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Cacadu is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 8 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Cacadu
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For groundnut in Cacadu, 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 season in Cacadu
| When the rains are expected | May 2026 to May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 633 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 633 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| 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 9% of this area. |
| 73% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 350 mm |
|---|---|
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 333 growing days · about 670 mm · January to January |
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 103 growing days · about 570 mm · December to May |
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 213 growing days · about 600 mm · August to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 40% 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 Cacadu
| 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 Cacadu 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 Cacadu?
Cacadu rates as moderate for groundnut.
When should I plant groundnut in Cacadu?
Typically 6 Sep 2026 to 8 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Cacadu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
