Divisi
When to plant Roselle in Pikine
Dakar, Sénégal
Known here as oseille de Guinée · bissap · foléré
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 | 22 Jun 2027 – 12 Jul 2027 opens in 38 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.0 t/ha | about 1.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 20 Oct 2027 to 8 Jan 2028, 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 | 86% | |
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 2 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Pikine 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 12 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Pikine
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For roselle in Pikine, 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 Pikine
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | July 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 422 mm |
| 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. |
| 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 50% of this area. |
| 50% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 99 growing days · about 410 mm · July to October |
|---|---|
| 50% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 93 growing days · about 390 mm · July to October |
last updated 30 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 Pikine
| Nitrogen (N) | About 40 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 55 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 Pikine 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.
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 Pikine?
Pikine rates as favourable for roselle.
When should I plant roselle in Pikine?
Typically 22 Jun 2027 to 12 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Pikine, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
