Divisi
When to plant Roselle in Gambia
These figures also cover Kanifing Municipal Council and North Bank, where the engine returns the same answer.
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 | 4 Jun 2027 – 24 Jun 2027 opens in 35 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.1 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 2 Oct 2027 to 21 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 4 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Gambia 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 24 Jun 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Gambia
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For roselle in Gambia, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2026 season in Gambia
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | June 2026 to October 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 816 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 580 mm in the driest of 49 districts to about 947 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September looks 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. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.7 °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 all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 89% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 131 growing days · about 690 mm · June to October |
|---|---|
| 11% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 132 growing days · about 740 mm · June to October |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 49 areas within it
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 Gambia
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 61 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 Gambia 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 Gambia?
Gambia rates as favourable for roselle.
When should I plant roselle in Gambia?
Typically 4 Jun 2027 to 24 Jun 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Gambia, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
