Divisi
When to plant Irish potato in Gulani
Yobe, Nigeria
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.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 7 Dec 2026 – 16 Dec 2026 opens in 10 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 22.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 15 Feb 2027 to 25 Apr 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 7 Dec 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Gulani yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 16 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Gulani
| Rain and temperature | 60% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For irish potato in Gulani, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 60%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2027 season in Gulani
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | June 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 637 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 637 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.1 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 97% of this area. |
| 97% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 144 growing days · about 670 mm · June to October |
|---|---|
| 3% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 148 growing days · about 710 mm · May to October |
last updated 16 September 2026
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 Gulani
| Planting material | About 47,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 73 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 22 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 128 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 | 110–185 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
Grow Irish potato with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Gulani 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.
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 Gulani?
Gulani rates as favourable for irish potato.
When should I plant irish potato in Gulani?
Typically 7 Dec 2026 to 16 Dec 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Gulani, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
