Divisi
When to plant Lablab in Ribeira Grande de Santiago
Cabo Verde
Lablab (also called hyacinth bean or dolichos; njahi in Swahili) is one of the toughest beans a smallholder can grow.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 17 Jul 2027 – 6 Aug 2027 opens in 41 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 1.2–1.4 t/ha | about 0.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 25 Oct 2027 to 3 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 100–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 75–156 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 72% | |
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 27 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ribeira Grande de Santiago leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 6 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ribeira Grande de Santiago
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For lablab in Ribeira Grande de Santiago, 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 2027 season in Ribeira Grande de Santiago
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | August 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 290 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 290 mm in the driest of 2 districts to about 312 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September looks short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| 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 | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 57% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 90 growing days · about 320 mm · July to October |
|---|---|
| 35% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 89 growing days · about 310 mm · August to October |
| 8% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 260 mm · August to October |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 2 areas within it
Limited water holds back about 30% of yield here.
What lablab needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand, sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus |
What it takes to grow lablab in Ribeira Grande de Santiago
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job. |
| Hand work | 75–156 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a lablab 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 Lablab with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Ribeira Grande de Santiago 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.
Lablab 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 lablab grow well in Ribeira Grande de Santiago?
Ribeira Grande de Santiago rates as favourable for lablab.
When should I plant lablab in Ribeira Grande de Santiago?
Typically 17 Jul 2027 to 6 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ribeira Grande de Santiago, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
