Divisi
When to plant Lettuce in El Houamed
M'Sila, 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.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 21 Jan 2027 – 22 Mar 2027 opens in 16 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 29.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 Mar 2027 to 5 Jun 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-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 22 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for El Houamed is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 22 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in El Houamed
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For lettuce in El Houamed, 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 season in El Houamed
| Rain in a typical year | About 165 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 165 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 97% of this area. |
| 97% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 180 mm |
|---|---|
| 3% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 160 mm |
last updated 18 September 2026
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 Houamed
| Nitrogen (N) | About 72 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 29 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 145 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 Houamed 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 Houamed?
El Houamed rates as favourable for lettuce.
When should I plant lettuce in El Houamed?
Typically 21 Jan 2027 to 22 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across El Houamed, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.