Divisi
When to plant Pumpkin in North Shewa (AM)
Amhara, Ethiopia
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 15 Jun 2027 – 15 Jul 2027 opens in 37 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 16.6–17.1 t/ha | about 12.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 13 Sep 2027 to 12 Nov 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 25 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for North Shewa (AM) 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 15 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in North Shewa (AM)
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For pumpkin in North Shewa (AM), the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 2027 season in North Shewa (AM)
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | June 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 657 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — October look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 39% of this area. |
| 39% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 146 growing days · about 800 mm · June to October |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 156 growing days · about 960 mm · May to October |
| 17% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 117 growing days · about 640 mm · June to October |
| 17% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 233 growing days · about 1,040 mm · March to October |
last updated 1 October 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 35% 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 North Shewa (AM)
| Planting material | About 2,500 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 43 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 21 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 68 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 North Shewa (AM) 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 North Shewa (AM)?
North Shewa (AM) rates as favourable for pumpkin.
When should I plant pumpkin in North Shewa (AM)?
Typically 15 Jun 2027 to 15 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across North Shewa (AM), not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
