When to plant Chilli in Leraba
Tannounyan, Burkina Faso
Known here as piment
Hot pepper — chilli, mhiripiri, pilipili kali, barkono, ata eiye — is the small, fiery Capsicum grown for the burn in its fruit.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 4 May 2027 – 23 Jun 2027 opens in 31 weeks | 10 Feb 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 13.2 t/ha | about 21.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 1 Oct 2027 to 19 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 150–210 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 110–232 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 24 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Leraba is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 23 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Leraba
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For chilli in Leraba, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2027 season in Leraba
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | April 2027 to November 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 998 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 998 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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 full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 91% of this area. |
| 91% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 206 growing days · about 1,000 mm · April to November |
|---|---|
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 177 growing days · about 980 mm · April to October |
| 3% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 216 growing days · about 1,010 mm · April to November |
last updated 30 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What chilli needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 45 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and calcium |
What it takes to grow chilli in Leraba
| Planting material | About 42,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 46 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 66 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 | 110–232 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a chilli 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 Chilli with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Leraba 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 firstWhere to sell Chilli nearby
Chilli 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 chilli grow well in Leraba?
Leraba rates as favourable for chilli.
When should I plant chilli in Leraba?
Typically 4 May 2027 to 23 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Leraba, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.