Divisi
When to plant Lablab in Gatanga
Murang'a, Kenya
Known here as njahi · fiwi
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 | 15 Jan 2027 – 17 Feb 2027 opens in 15 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.7 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 25 Apr 2027 to 17 Jul 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 meets its needs | 88% | |
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 6 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Gatanga 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 17 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Gatanga
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For lablab in Gatanga, 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 2026 season in Gatanga
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to June 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 828 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 38% of this area. |
| 38% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 220 growing days · about 800 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 22% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,510 mm · December to December |
| 13% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 236 growing days · about 900 mm · February to June |
| 10% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 254 growing days · about 1,120 mm · September to July |
last updated 30 September 2026
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 Gatanga
| Nitrogen (N) | About 63 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 22 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 Gatanga 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 Gatanga?
Gatanga rates as favourable for lablab.
When should I plant lablab in Gatanga?
Typically 15 Jan 2027 to 17 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Gatanga, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
