Divisi
When to plant Onion in Shabelle
Somali, Ethiopia
Known here as shinkurt
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 | 14 Mar 2027 – 3 Apr 2027 opens in 23 weeks | 18 Sep 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 9.4 t/ha | about 33.8 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 12 Jun 2027 to 1 Aug 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–120 days after planting | |
| Rain meets its needs | 47% | |
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 14 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Shabelle 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 3 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Shabelle
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For onion in Shabelle, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2027 season in Shabelle
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 403 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 28% of this area. |
| 72% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 320 mm |
|---|---|
| 28% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 98 growing days · about 380 mm · March to May |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 60% 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 Shabelle
| Planting material | About 500,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 17 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 3 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 19 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 Shabelle 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 Shabelle?
Shabelle rates as moderate for onion.
When should I plant onion in Shabelle?
Typically 14 Mar 2027 to 3 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Shabelle, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
