Divisi
When to plant Kale in Ilala
Dar-es-salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
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 | 7 Feb 2027 – 27 Feb 2027 opens in 19 weeks | 11 Apr 2027 – 30 Jun 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 23.6 t/ha | about 46.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 Jun 2027 to 26 Aug 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 27 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ilala is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 27 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ilala
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For kale in Ilala, 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 2026/27 season in Ilala
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to June 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,070 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,070 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.1 °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 full main crop, 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 66% of this area. |
| 66% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 267 growing days · about 1,040 mm · October to June |
|---|---|
| 26% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 271 growing days · about 1,020 mm · October to June |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 256 growing days · about 1,050 mm · October to June |
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 Ilala
| Planting material | About 60,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 106 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 24 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 142 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 Ilala 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 Ilala?
Ilala rates as favourable for kale.
When should I plant kale in Ilala?
Typically 7 Feb 2027 to 27 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ilala, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
