Divisi
When to plant Maize in Cacadu
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Known here as ummbila · umbona · mielie
C4 annual grass, wind- and cross-pollinated — buy hybrid seed fresh each season and isolate seed crops / sweetcorn from field maize by ~200 m.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 9 Jan 2027 – 9 Apr 2027 opens in 14 weeks | 10 Jun 2026 – 2 Mar 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.8 t/ha | about 9.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 9 May 2027 to 27 Aug 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 120–140 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 82–165 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 66% | |
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 8 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Cacadu is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 9 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Cacadu
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For maize in Cacadu, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 Cacadu
| When the rains are expected | May 2026 to May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 633 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 633 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 9% of this area. |
| 73% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 350 mm |
|---|---|
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 333 growing days · about 670 mm · January to January |
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 103 growing days · about 570 mm · December to May |
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 213 growing days · about 600 mm · August to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 40% of yield here.
What maize needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | sulphur, zinc and magnesium |
What it takes to grow maize in Cacadu
| Planting material | About 53,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 45 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 22 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 17 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 | 82–165 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a maize 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 Maize with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Cacadu 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.
Maize 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 maize grow well in Cacadu?
Cacadu rates as favourable for maize.
When should I plant maize in Cacadu?
Typically 9 Jan 2027 to 9 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Cacadu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
