Divisi
When to plant Lime in NGWAKETSE WEST
SOUTHERN, Botswana
The lime is a small, thorny, evergreen citrus tree — the most heat-loving and least cold-hardy of the whole citrus family.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant (establish) | 22 Mar 2027 – 10 Jun 2027 opens in 25 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 14.9 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 96–203 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 NGWAKETSE WEST is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 10 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in NGWAKETSE WEST
| Rain and temperature | 60% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For lime in NGWAKETSE WEST, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 season in NGWAKETSE WEST
| Rain in a typical year | About 321 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 321 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 | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 17 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 45% of yield here.
What lime needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 550 cm between rows, 550 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc and boron |
What it takes to grow lime in NGWAKETSE WEST
| Planting material | About 340 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 30 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 6 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 37 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 | 96–203 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a lime 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 Lime with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes NGWAKETSE WEST 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.
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 lime grow well in NGWAKETSE WEST?
NGWAKETSE WEST rates as favourable for lime.
When should I plant lime in NGWAKETSE WEST?
Typically 22 Mar 2027 to 10 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across NGWAKETSE WEST, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.