Divisi
When to plant Kale in Dadaab
Garissa, Kenya
Known here as sukuma wiki
Rape, covo and kale are the everyday leafy greens of the African plot — the relish in the pot most nights.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 1 May 2027 – 10 Jun 2027 opens in 30 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 27.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 29 Aug 2027 to 7 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 120–180 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 100–222 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 21 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Dadaab 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 10 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Dadaab
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For kale in Dadaab, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 season in Dadaab
| Rain in a typical year | About 342 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| 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 | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 30 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 45% of yield here.
What kale needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.8 |
| Spacing | 45 cm between rows, 45 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium, calcium, sulphur, boron and molybdenum |
What it takes to grow kale in Dadaab
| Planting material | About 60,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 126 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 167 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 | 100–222 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a kale 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 Kale with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Dadaab 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.
Kale 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 kale grow well in Dadaab?
Dadaab rates as favourable for kale.
When should I plant kale in Dadaab?
Typically 1 May 2027 to 10 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Dadaab, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.