When to plant Rice in Gibeon
Hardap, Namibia
Rice is a grass that lives on water.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 22 Mar 2026 – 2 Mar 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 3.7 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 20 Jun 2026 to 30 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 69–107 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 Gibeon is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 2 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Gibeon
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For rice in Gibeon, 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 Gibeon
| Rain in a typical year | About 12 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 12 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 85% of this area. |
| 85% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 120 mm |
|---|---|
| 8% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 200 mm |
| 5% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date no rain-fed season · about 190 mm |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 45% of yield here.
What rice needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 20 cm between rows, 20 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and zinc |
What it takes to grow rice in Gibeon
| Planting material | About 600,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 56 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 81 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 | 69–107 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a rice 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 Rice with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Gibeon 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.
Or check your field firstThis 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 rice grow well in Gibeon?
Gibeon rates as favourable for rice.
When should I plant rice in Gibeon?
Typically 22 Mar 2026 to 2 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Gibeon, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.