When to plant Chilli in Lom-et-Djérem
East, Cameroon
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 Mar 2027 – 22 Jun 2027 opens in 22 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 12.4 t/ha | about 20.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 1 Aug 2027 to 18 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 3 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Lom-et-Djérem is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 22 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Lom-et-Djérem
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For chilli in Lom-et-Djérem, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Lom-et-Djérem
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,392 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,392 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter 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 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 57% of this area. |
| 57% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 256 growing days · about 1,350 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 23% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 295 growing days · about 1,360 mm · March to December |
| 20% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 303 growing days · about 1,380 mm · February to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
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 Lom-et-Djérem
| Planting material | About 42,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 43 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 62 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 Lom-et-Djérem 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 Lom-et-Djérem?
Lom-et-Djérem rates as favourable for chilli.
When should I plant chilli in Lom-et-Djérem?
Typically 4 Mar 2027 to 22 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Lom-et-Djérem, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.