Divisi
When to plant Onion in Meskiana
Oum El Bouaghi, Algeria
Onion is a cool-season vegetable you grow for its bulb — the swollen base of the leaves — but across sub-Saharan Africa it is most often grown as an irrigated hot dry-season crop, and it stands real heat (up to about 42 °C) as long as the water never stops.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 16 Dec 2026 – 15 Jan 2027 opens in 11 weeks | 27 Dec 2026 – 1 May 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 6.1–8.2 t/ha | about 41.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 16 Mar 2027 to 15 May 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–120 days after planting | |
| Rain meets its needs | 36% | |
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 26 Dec 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Meskiana is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 15 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Meskiana
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For onion in Meskiana, 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 2026/27 season in Meskiana
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 380 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 380 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 83% of this area. |
| 83% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 163 growing days · about 380 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 198 growing days · about 430 mm · October to May |
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 161 growing days · about 370 mm · October to April |
| 4% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 163 growing days · about 390 mm · October to April |
last updated 18 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 70% of yield here.
What onion needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 20 cm between rows, 7 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium and sulphur |
What it takes to grow onion in Meskiana
| Planting material | About 500,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 3 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 15 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. |
These are the nutrients a onion 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 Onion with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Meskiana 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.
Onion 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 onion grow well in Meskiana?
Meskiana rates as moderate for onion.
When should I plant onion in Meskiana?
Typically 16 Dec 2026 to 15 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Meskiana, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
