Divisi
When to plant Roselle in Moses Garoeb
Khomas, Namibia
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 | 29 Aug 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 0.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 27 Dec 2026 to 5 Jun 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 18 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Moses Garoeb 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 7 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Moses Garoeb
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For roselle in Moses Garoeb, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 season in Moses Garoeb
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to April 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 358 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January and February 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. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +2.1 °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 the largest that farms — about 57% of this area. |
| 57% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 85 growing days · about 360 mm · January to April |
|---|---|
| 43% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 88 growing days · about 380 mm · January to March |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 45% 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 Moses Garoeb
| 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 Moses Garoeb 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 Moses Garoeb?
Moses Garoeb rates as favourable for roselle.
When should I plant roselle in Moses Garoeb?
Typically 29 Aug 2026 to 7 Dec 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Moses Garoeb, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
