Divisi
When to plant Lablab in Longochuk
Upper Nile, South Sudan
Lablab (also called hyacinth bean or dolichos; njahi in Swahili) is one of the toughest beans a smallholder can grow.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 22 May 2027 – 11 Jun 2027 opens in 33 weeks |
| Expected harvest | 1.7–2.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 30 Aug 2027 to 8 Nov 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 | 87% |
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 1 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Longochuk 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 11 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Longochuk
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For lablab in Longochuk, the soil is the tightest of the three at 88%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2027 season in Longochuk
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | May 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 553 mm |
| 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. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.7 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 94% of this area. |
| 94% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 157 growing days · about 580 mm · May to October |
|---|---|
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 199 growing days · about 680 mm · May to November |
last updated 16 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 Longochuk
| 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 Longochuk 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 Longochuk?
Longochuk rates as favourable for lablab.
When should I plant lablab in Longochuk?
Typically 22 May 2027 to 11 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Longochuk, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
