Divisi
When to plant Roselle in El Hamma
Khenchela, Algeria
Roselle — you may know it as bissap, zobo, karkade or sorrel — is a tall, warm-season hibiscus grown for the fleshy red cups (the calyces) that swell at the base of each flower once the petals drop.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 1 May 2027 – 21 May 2027 opens in 30 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 1.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 29 Aug 2027 to 17 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 120–180 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 85–175 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 rainfall outlook for El Hamma is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 21 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in El Hamma
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For roselle in El Hamma, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2026/27 season in El Hamma
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to March 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 328 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 328 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.5 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 48% of this area. |
| 48% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 153 growing days · about 340 mm · October to March |
|---|---|
| 38% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 144 growing days · about 320 mm |
| 10% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 141 growing days · about 460 mm |
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 154 growing days · about 380 mm · October to April |
last updated 18 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What roselle needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.5 |
| Spacing | 80 cm between rows, 60 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow roselle in El Hamma
| Nitrogen (N) | About 56 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 21 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 77 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 | 85–175 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a roselle 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 Roselle with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes El Hamma 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.
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 roselle grow well in El Hamma?
El Hamma rates as favourable for roselle.
When should I plant roselle in El Hamma?
Typically 1 May 2027 to 21 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across El Hamma, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
