Divisi
When to plant Kale in Apapa
Lagos, Nigeria
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 | 29 Apr 2027 – 26 Jul 2027 opens in 30 weeks | same |
| Expected harvest | about 24.9 t/ha | about 35.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 27 Aug 2027 to 22 Jan 2028, 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 12 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Apapa leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 26 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Apapa
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For kale in Apapa, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2026 season in Apapa
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to December 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,436 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September and October look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| 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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 80% of this area. |
| 80% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 295 growing days · about 1,430 mm · March to December |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 294 growing days · about 1,400 mm · March to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 30% 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 Apapa
| Planting material | About 60,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 112 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 25 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 149 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 Apapa 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 Apapa?
Apapa rates as favourable for kale.
When should I plant kale in Apapa?
Typically 29 Apr 2027 to 26 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Apapa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
