Divisi
When to plant Lablab in Tsoelikana
Qacha's Nek, Lesotho
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 | 28 Sep 2026 – 18 Oct 2026 open now | 1 Jan 2027 – 31 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 1.0–1.2 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 6 Jan 2027 to 17 Mar 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 | 60% | |
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 8 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Tsoelikana yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 18 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Tsoelikana
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For lablab in Tsoelikana, 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 2026/27 season in Tsoelikana
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | September 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 732 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, November and December look 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. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.5 °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, cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 89% of this area. |
| 89% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 223 growing days · about 730 mm · September to May |
|---|---|
| 6% | enough rain for one full main crop; cold for much of the year, with a short planting season 249 growing days · about 830 mm · August to May |
| 3% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 173 growing days · about 580 mm · October to April |
| 3% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 171 growing days · about 580 mm · October to April |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 40% 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 Tsoelikana
| Nitrogen (N) | About 37 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 9 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 13 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 Tsoelikana 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 Tsoelikana?
Tsoelikana rates as favourable for lablab.
When should I plant lablab in Tsoelikana?
Typically 28 Sep 2026 to 18 Oct 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Tsoelikana, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
