Divisi
When to plant Roselle in West Arsi
Oromia, Ethiopia
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 18 Mar 2027 – 27 May 2027 opens in 24 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.9 t/ha | about 1.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 16 Jul 2027 to 23 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 meets its needs | 75% | |
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 17 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for West Arsi is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 27 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in West Arsi
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For roselle in West Arsi, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. 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 2025 season in West Arsi
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2025 to October 2025 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 680 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 680 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 full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 27% of this area. |
| 27% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 236 growing days · about 840 mm · March to October |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 316 growing days · about 1,140 mm · February to December |
| 19% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 284 growing days · about 990 mm · February to November |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 308 growing days · about 1,100 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
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 West Arsi
| Nitrogen (N) | About 36 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 14 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 50 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 West Arsi 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.
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 West Arsi?
West Arsi rates as favourable for roselle.
When should I plant roselle in West Arsi?
Typically 18 Mar 2027 to 27 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across West Arsi, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
