Divisi
When to plant Lettuce in Mwea
Kirinyaga, 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 | 14 Oct 2026 – 28 Nov 2026 opens in 2 weeks | 21 May 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 17.7 t/ha | about 32.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 28 Nov 2026 to 11 Feb 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 | 97% | |
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 13 Nov 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Mwea 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 28 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mwea
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For lettuce in Mwea, 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 Mwea
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to June 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,009 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 | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 88% of this area. |
| 88% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 239 growing days · about 920 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 251 growing days · about 1,080 mm · September to June |
| 3% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 259 growing days · about 1,220 mm · September to July |
last updated 30 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 20% 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 Mwea
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 88 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 Mwea 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 Mwea?
Mwea rates as favourable for lettuce.
When should I plant lettuce in Mwea?
Typically 14 Oct 2026 to 28 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mwea, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
