Divisi
When to plant Lettuce in Kiambaa
Kiambu, Kenya
Known here as saladi · letusi
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 | 4 Mar 2027 – 21 Apr 2027 opens in 22 weeks | 2 Mar 2026 – 10 Feb 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 21.9 t/ha | about 30.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 Apr 2027 to 5 Jul 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 20 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Kiambaa leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 21 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kiambaa
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For lettuce in Kiambaa, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2026 season in Kiambaa
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to July 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,066 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and December 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 +1.0 °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 all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 64% of this area. |
| 64% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 249 growing days · about 980 mm · February to July |
|---|---|
| 18% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 238 growing days · about 890 mm · February to July |
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 361 growing days · about 1,200 mm · February to February |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 264 growing days · about 1,160 mm · September to July |
last updated 30 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Kiambaa
| Nitrogen (N) | About 55 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 22 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 110 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 Kiambaa 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 Kiambaa?
Kiambaa rates as favourable for lettuce.
When should I plant lettuce in Kiambaa?
Typically 4 Mar 2027 to 21 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kiambaa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
