Divisi
When to plant Lablab in Ogooue-Ivindo
Gabon
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 | 10 Feb 2026 – 21 Jan 2027 open now | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.9 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 21 May 2026 to 20 Jun 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 100–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 75–156 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 21 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ogooue-Ivindo 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 21 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ogooue-Ivindo
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For lablab in Ogooue-Ivindo, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 season in Ogooue-Ivindo
| When the rains are expected | August 2025 to August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,612 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 1,509 mm in the driest of 4 districts to about 1,778 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry. Plant at the early end of the window and favour quicker, more drought-tolerant crops. |
| 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 | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 4 areas within it
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Ogooue-Ivindo
| Nitrogen (N) | About 70 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 17 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 25 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 Ogooue-Ivindo 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 Ogooue-Ivindo?
Ogooue-Ivindo rates as favourable for lablab.
When should I plant lablab in Ogooue-Ivindo?
Typically 10 Feb 2026 to 21 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ogooue-Ivindo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
