Divisi
When to plant Pigeon pea in Hawassa town Admin
Sidama, Ethiopia
Pigeon pea (red gram) is a hardy, woody bush bean that sends a taproot two metres deep, so it keeps growing and podding long after other crops burn off in the dry.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant (establish) | 29 Aug 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 1.6 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 90–300 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. |
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 28 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Hawassa town Admin is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 7 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Hawassa town Admin
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For pigeon pea in Hawassa town Admin, 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 2026 season in Hawassa town Admin
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 940 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 940 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 full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 76% of this area. |
| 76% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 256 growing days · about 950 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 286 growing days · about 1,140 mm · February to December |
| 5% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 293 growing days · about 1,180 mm · February to December |
| 5% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 265 growing days · about 1,000 mm · February to November |
last updated 16 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 20% of yield here.
What pigeon pea needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand, sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 75 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus and sulphur |
What it takes to grow pigeon pea in Hawassa town Admin
| Planting material | About 75,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 96 kg per hectare — the crop fixes most of this itself; inoculated seed matters more than a bag |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 19 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 40 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. Skip the nitrogen top dressing; inoculated seed does that job. |
These are the nutrients a pigeon pea 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 Pigeon pea with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Hawassa town Admin 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.
Pigeon pea 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 pigeon pea grow well in Hawassa town Admin?
Hawassa town Admin rates as favourable for pigeon pea.
When should I plant pigeon pea in Hawassa town Admin?
Typically 29 Aug 2026 to 7 Dec 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Hawassa town Admin, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
