Divisi
When to plant Lablab in Somalia
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 | 22 Sep 2026 – 12 Oct 2026 open now | 11 Apr 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 1.1–1.3 t/ha | about 2.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 31 Dec 2026 to 11 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 | 65% | |
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 2 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Somalia yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 12 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Somalia
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For lablab in Somalia, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in Somalia
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to December 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 490 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 27 mm in the driest of 91 districts to about 539 mm in the wettest |
| Rainy seasons, district by district | Of 91 districts: one rainy season in 18 and two rainy seasons in 10 |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — October and November 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 +0.7 °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 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. |
| 72% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 190 mm · October to November |
|---|---|
| 14% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 109 growing days · about 440 mm · April to July |
| 10% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 121 growing days · about 480 mm · September to November |
last updated 17 September 2026 · from all 91 areas within it
Limited water holds back about 35% 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 Somalia
| Nitrogen (N) | About 48 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 12 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 17 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 Somalia 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 Somalia?
Somalia rates as favourable for lablab.
When should I plant lablab in Somalia?
Typically 22 Sep 2026 to 12 Oct 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Somalia, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
