Divisi
When to plant Lettuce in Saku
Marsabit, 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 | 16 Oct 2026 – 5 Nov 2026 opens in 2 weeks | 10 Jun 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 18.2 t/ha | about 20.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 30 Nov 2026 to 19 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 | 88% | |
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 26 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Saku is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 5 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Saku
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For lettuce in Saku, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 season in Saku
| Rain in a typical year | About 269 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 269 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, 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 84% of this area. |
| 84% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 82 growing days · about 300 mm |
|---|---|
| 10% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 115 growing days · about 410 mm · October to December |
| 6% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 131 growing days · about 470 mm · October to December |
last updated 30 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 Saku
| Nitrogen (N) | About 46 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 91 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 Saku 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 Saku?
Saku rates as favourable for lettuce.
When should I plant lettuce in Saku?
Typically 16 Oct 2026 to 5 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Saku, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
