Divisi
When to plant Pineapple in Ondobe
Ohangwena, Namibia
Pineapple is a tough, low-growing plant — a rosette (a circle of stiff, spiny leaves growing out from one central point) about waist-high, carrying one sweet fruit in its heart.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant (establish) | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 41.1 t/ha |
| Bearing cycle | 450–730 days per crop once the plant is established. Planting to the first harvest takes longer than one cycle. |
| Work it takes | 158–335 days per hectare, by hand |
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 1 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ondobe is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 1 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ondobe
| Rain and temperature | 60% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For pineapple in Ondobe, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 2026/27 season in Ondobe
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 632 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 632 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.6 °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 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 87% of this area. |
| 87% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 134 growing days · about 620 mm · November to April |
|---|---|
| 13% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 133 growing days · about 590 mm · November to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 45% of yield here.
What pineapple needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sand or sandy loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 5.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 1,000–1,500 mm across the season |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen and zinc |
What it takes to grow pineapple in Ondobe
| Planting material | About 55,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 144 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 31 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 452 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 | 158–335 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a pineapple 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 Pineapple with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Ondobe 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.
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 pineapple grow well in Ondobe?
Ondobe rates as favourable for pineapple.
When should I plant pineapple in Ondobe?
Typically 21 Jan 2026 to 1 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ondobe, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
