Divisi
When to plant Onion in Wajir South
Wajir, Kenya
Known here as kitunguu
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.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 11 Apr 2027 – 18 Sep 2027 opens in 27 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 35.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 10 Jul 2027 to 16 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–120 days after planting |
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 11 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Wajir South 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 18 Sep 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Wajir South
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For onion in Wajir South, 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 season in Wajir South
| Rain in a typical year | About 301 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 30 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 20% 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 Wajir South
| Planting material | About 500,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 64 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 12 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 71 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 Wajir South 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 Wajir South?
Wajir South rates as favourable for onion.
When should I plant onion in Wajir South?
Typically 11 Apr 2027 to 18 Sep 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Wajir South, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.