Divisi
When to plant Lettuce in El Marsa
Chlef, Algeria
Lettuce is a fast, leafy salad crop grown for its crisp, tender leaves — and because people eat it raw, you must grow it clean.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 9 Oct 2026 – 29 Oct 2026 opens in 1 week | 10 Feb 2027 – 1 May 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 13.7–14.9 t/ha | about 12.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 23 Nov 2026 to 12 Jan 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 45–75 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 40–80 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 86% | |
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 19 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for El Marsa is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 29 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in El Marsa
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For lettuce in El Marsa, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 El Marsa
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 427 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 427 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 57% of this area. |
| 57% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 194 growing days · about 440 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 29% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 174 growing days · about 390 mm · October to April |
| 7% | 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 380 mm · October to April |
| 7% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 188 growing days · about 420 mm · October to April |
last updated 18 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% of yield here.
What lettuce needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8 |
| Spacing | 38 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium and calcium |
What it takes to grow lettuce in El Marsa
| Nitrogen (N) | About 36 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 73 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 40–80 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a lettuce 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 Lettuce with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes El Marsa 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.
Lettuce 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 lettuce grow well in El Marsa?
El Marsa rates as favourable for lettuce.
When should I plant lettuce in El Marsa?
Typically 9 Oct 2026 to 29 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across El Marsa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
