Divisi
When to plant Jute mallow in Tanga
United Republic of Tanzania
Known here as mlenda · mrenda · murere
Jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius) — known as ewedu, molokhia, mrenda, murere, gusha and bush okra — is a fast, hot-season leafy vegetable grown for its tender leaves and soft shoot tips.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 11 Oct 2026 – 28 Nov 2026 opens in 1 week | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 7.9–8.3 t/ha | about 12.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 20 Nov 2026 to 27 Jan 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 40–60 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 73–141 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 11 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Tanga leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 28 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Tanga
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For jute mallow in Tanga, 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 Tanga
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,144 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 565 mm in the driest of 10 districts to about 1,282 mm in the wettest |
| Rainy seasons, district by district | Of 10 districts: one rainy season in 3 and two rainy seasons in 1 |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| 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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 30% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 337 growing days · about 1,100 mm · January to January |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 287 growing days · about 890 mm · September to July |
| 18% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 250 growing days · about 770 mm · October to July |
| 11% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 198 growing days · about 610 mm · February to June |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 10 areas within it
What jute mallow needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or alluvial soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 47 cm between rows, 12 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen |
What it takes to grow jute mallow in Tanga
| Nitrogen (N) | About 33 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 7 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 42 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 | 73–141 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a jute mallow 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 Jute mallow with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Tanga 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.
Jute mallow 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 jute mallow grow well in Tanga?
Tanga rates as favourable for jute mallow.
When should I plant jute mallow in Tanga?
Typically 11 Oct 2026 to 28 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Tanga, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
