Divisi
When to plant Chilli in Sima
Anjouan (Ndzouani), Comores
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 | 20 Oct 2026 – 8 Jan 2027 opens in 3 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 8.7 t/ha | about 9.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 19 Mar 2027 to 6 Aug 2027, 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 29 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Sima is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 8 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Sima
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For chilli in Sima, 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 2025/26 season in Sima
| When the rains are expected | September 2025 to August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,664 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,664 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 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 64% of this area. |
| 64% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 325 growing days · about 1,690 mm · August to August |
|---|---|
| 29% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 325 growing days · about 1,670 mm · September to August |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 296 growing days · about 1,530 mm · September to July |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 45% 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 Sima
| Planting material | About 42,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 30 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 7 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 44 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 Sima 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.
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 Sima?
Sima rates as favourable for chilli.
When should I plant chilli in Sima?
Typically 20 Oct 2026 to 8 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Sima, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
