Divisi
When to plant Niger seed in Kiambu
Kenya
Niger seed — noug — is a tall, upright plant with bright yellow, daisy-like flowers, grown for the small black, oily seeds that are pressed into sweet, light noug cooking oil.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 8 Feb 2027 – 10 Mar 2027 opens in 19 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.9 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 9 May 2027 to 7 Aug 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 64–134 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 18 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Kiambu 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 10 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kiambu
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For niger seed in Kiambu, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Kiambu
| When the rains are expected | December 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,375 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 637 mm in the driest of 12 districts to about 1,446 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — 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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 7 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 32% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 234 growing days · about 840 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 22% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 363 growing days · about 1,300 mm · August to August |
| 14% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 190 growing days · about 690 mm · February to June |
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,300 mm · January to December |
| 4% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 261 growing days · about 1,160 mm · September to July |
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 287 growing days · about 1,020 mm · September to July |
| 3% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 236 growing days · about 890 mm · February to June |
last updated 16 September 2026 · from all 12 areas within it
What niger seed needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | clay, clay loam or loam |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur |
What it takes to grow niger seed in Kiambu
| Nitrogen (N) | About 33 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 14 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 | 64–134 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a niger seed 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 Niger seed with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Kiambu 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.
Niger seed 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 niger seed grow well in Kiambu?
Kiambu rates as favourable for niger seed.
When should I plant niger seed in Kiambu?
Typically 8 Feb 2027 to 10 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kiambu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
