Divisi
When to plant Lettuce in Nairobi
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 | 22 Mar 2027 – 11 Apr 2027 opens in 25 weeks | 1 May 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 16.1–20.3 t/ha | about 35.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 6 May 2027 to 25 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 meets its needs | 95% | |
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 1 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Nairobi 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 11 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Nairobi
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For lettuce in Nairobi, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.
The 2026 season in Nairobi
| 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 925 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 580 mm in the driest of 17 districts to about 925 mm in the wettest |
| 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 | 5 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 44% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 226 growing days · about 820 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 28% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 170 growing days · about 600 mm · March to June |
| 16% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 230 growing days · about 840 mm · February to June |
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 166 growing days · about 600 mm · March to May |
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 160 growing days · about 570 mm · March to May |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 17 areas within it
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 Nairobi
| Nitrogen (N) | About 51 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 102 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 Nairobi 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 Nairobi?
Nairobi rates as favourable for lettuce.
When should I plant lettuce in Nairobi?
Typically 22 Mar 2027 to 11 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Nairobi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
