Divisi
When to plant Oil palm in Gem
Siaya, Kenya
Known here as mchikichi
Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a single-stemmed palm from the forests of West and Central Africa, and the highest-yielding oil crop in the world.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 2 Mar 2027 – 1 May 2027 opens in 22 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 12.1 t/ha | about 19.3 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 77–175 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 96% | |
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 Gem is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Gem
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For oil palm in Gem, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2025 season in Gem
| When the rains are expected | January 2025 to January 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,596 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,596 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.8 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 97% of this area. |
| 97% | 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 1,500 mm · January to January |
|---|---|
| 3% | 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 1,420 mm · January to January |
last updated 30 September 2026
What oil palm needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 6.0 |
| Spacing | 900 cm between rows, 900 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen, magnesium and boron |
What it takes to grow oil palm in Gem
| Planting material | About 143 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 91 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 27 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 127 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 | 77–175 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a oil palm 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 Oil palm with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Gem 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.
Oil palm 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 oil palm grow well in Gem?
Gem rates as favourable for oil palm.
When should I plant oil palm in Gem?
Typically 2 Mar 2027 to 1 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Gem, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
