Divisi
When to plant Pumpkin in Nyabihu
Western Province, Rwanda
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 | 20 Jul 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 open now | 21 May 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 17.5 t/ha | about 24.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 Oct 2026 to 17 Mar 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 29 Aug 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Nyabihu 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 17 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Nyabihu
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For pumpkin in Nyabihu, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 season in Nyabihu
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,340 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and December 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 a long crop, or two in a year, 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 65% of this area. |
| 65% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,350 mm · January to December |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 343 growing days · about 1,210 mm · July to July |
| 11% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 338 growing days · about 1,140 mm · July to July |
| 5% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; cold for much of the year, with a short planting season 365 growing days · about 1,630 mm · January to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 20% 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 Nyabihu
| Planting material | About 2,500 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 21 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 70 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 Nyabihu 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 Nyabihu?
Nyabihu rates as favourable for pumpkin.
When should I plant pumpkin in Nyabihu?
Typically 20 Jul 2026 to 17 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Nyabihu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
