Divisi
When to plant Pumpkin in El Hachem
These figures also cover Tighennif, where the engine returns the same answer.
Mascara, Algeria
Pumpkin and butternut are warm-season trailing vines of the squash family — Cucurbita moschata, the tough, heat- and disease-hardy squash bred for hot, humid Africa.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 10 Feb 2027 – 29 Aug 2027 opens in 19 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 35.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 11 May 2027 to 27 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–120 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 68–138 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 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for El Hachem is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 29 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in El Hachem
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For pumpkin in El Hachem, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. You cannot flatten it, but you can farm it: plant along the contour rather than up and down, ridge or tie ridges to hold water on the slope, and expect shallower rooting than the crop would manage on flat ground.
The 2026/27 season in El Hachem
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to March 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 398 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 398 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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 84% of this area. |
| 84% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 164 growing days · about 410 mm · October to March |
|---|---|
| 16% | 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 380 mm · October to March |
last updated 18 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What pumpkin 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 |
| Rain it needs | About 600–1,600 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 180 cm between rows, 150 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow pumpkin in El Hachem
| Planting material | About 2,500 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 88 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 42 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 140 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 | 68–138 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a pumpkin 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 Pumpkin with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes El Hachem 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.
Pumpkin 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 pumpkin grow well in El Hachem?
El Hachem rates as favourable for pumpkin.
When should I plant pumpkin in El Hachem?
Typically 10 Feb 2027 to 29 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across El Hachem, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
