When to plant Irish potato in El Anseur

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Irish potato

Bordj Bou Arrer, Algeria

The Irish potato (mbatatisi, ikirayi, viazi mviringo) is a cool-weather crop grown for the tubers that swell underground — it is not a grain, and it is not the same plant as sweet potato.

Irish potato in El Anseur, rain-fed and with irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 2 Mar 2027 – 22 Mar 2027 opens in 22 weeks
Expected harvest about 31.9 t/ha
Harvest From 11 May 2027 to 30 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date
Ready to harvest 70–130 days after planting
Work it takes 110–185 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 2 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for El Anseur is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.

Planting after 22 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in El Anseur

Rain and temperature 88%
The soil 76%
The lie of the land 76%

For irish potato in El Anseur, 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 2026/27 season in El Anseur

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedOctober 2026 to March 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 332 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 332 mm falling roughly when it always does
This season's heatHotter than usual — about +1.4 °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 one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth
Ground this covers4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 60% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
60% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 140 growing days · about 340 mm · October to March
20% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 133 growing days · about 320 mm
10% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 133 growing days · about 320 mm
10% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 148 growing days · about 350 mm · October to March

last updated 18 September 2026

Frost and pest pressure hold back about 25% of yield here.

What irish potato needs to grow here

Soil it likes well-drained loam or sandy loam soil
Soil sourness (pH) Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5
Spacing 75 cm between rows, 28 cm between plants
Feed it most with potassium and magnesium

What it takes to grow irish potato in El Anseur

Planting materialAbout 47,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 105 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 32 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 185 kg per hectare
In the shopsA 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 work110–185 days per hectare, by hand

These are the nutrients a irish potato 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

Frost riskPest/disease risk — manageableSoil pH outside the crop's range

Grow Irish potato with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes El Anseur 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

Irish potato 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 irish potato grow well in El Anseur?

El Anseur rates as favourable for irish potato.

When should I plant irish potato in El Anseur?

Typically 2 Mar 2027 to 22 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across El Anseur, 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 El Anseur

Keep going

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