Divisi
When to plant Kale in Ikolomani
Kakamega, 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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 10 Feb 2027 – 10 Jun 2027 opens in 19 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 29.0 t/ha | about 41.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 10 Jun 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 2 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ikolomani is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
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 Ikolomani
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For kale in Ikolomani, 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 Ikolomani
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,591 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,591 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.9 °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 | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 56% of this area. |
| 56% | 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 1,580 mm · January to January |
|---|---|
| 38% | 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 1,590 mm · December to December |
| 6% | 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 1,570 mm · December to December |
last updated 30 September 2026
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 Ikolomani
| Planting material | About 60,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 130 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 29 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 174 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 Ikolomani 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.
Where to sell Kale nearby
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 Ikolomani?
Ikolomani rates as favourable for kale.
When should I plant kale in Ikolomani?
Typically 10 Feb 2027 to 10 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ikolomani, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
