When to plant Roselle in Come

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Roselle

Mono, Benin

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.

Roselle in Come, rain-fed and with irrigation
Measure Rain-fed With irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 13 Mar 2027 – 21 Jun 2027 opens in 23 weeks 10 Feb 2026 – 17 Nov 2026
Expected harvest about 1.2 t/ha same
Harvest From 11 Jul 2027 to 18 Dec 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 23 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Come 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 21 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.

What decides this in Come

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 88%

For roselle in Come, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2027 season in Come

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedMarch 2027 to November 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 951 mm
This season's rainLeaning 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 supportsenough rain for one full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 79% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
79% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 252 growing days · about 960 mm · March to November
21% enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 252 growing days · about 970 mm · March to November

last updated 30 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 Come

Nitrogen (N)About 48 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 18 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 66 kg per hectare
In the shopsA 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 work85–175 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

Pest/disease risk — manageableLate-maturing — drought risk

Grow Roselle with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Come 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 first

Where to sell Roselle nearby

Roselle 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 roselle grow well in Come?

Come rates as favourable for roselle.

When should I plant roselle in Come?

Typically 13 Mar 2027 to 21 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Come, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Come

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.