Divisi
When to plant Sesame in Thabo Mofutsanyane
Free State, South Africa
Known here as sesam · sesamsaad
Sesame — also called simsim or benniseed — is a tough, upright oilseed that grows from knee to shoulder height and gives a seed that is about half oil.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 18 Oct 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 opens in 2 weeks | 1 Jan 2026 – 30 Sep 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 0.4 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 16 Jan 2027 to 7 Mar 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–130 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 65–129 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 54% | |
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 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Thabo Mofutsanyane yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 28 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Thabo Mofutsanyane
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For sesame in Thabo Mofutsanyane, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 2026/27 season in Thabo Mofutsanyane
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 669 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — October, November and December 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 +1.7 °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 full main crop, cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 44% of this area. |
| 44% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 211 growing days · about 660 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 32% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 191 growing days · about 630 mm · October to May |
| 12% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 157 growing days · about 590 mm · November to May |
| 10% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 150 growing days · about 550 mm · November to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 45% of yield here.
What sesame 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 |
| Rain it needs | About 300–600 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 37 cm between rows, 7 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, phosphorus and boron |
What it takes to grow sesame in Thabo Mofutsanyane
| Planting material | About 265,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 22 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 6 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 20 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 | 65–129 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sesame 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 Sesame with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Thabo Mofutsanyane 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.
Sesame 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 sesame grow well in Thabo Mofutsanyane?
Thabo Mofutsanyane rates as moderate for sesame.
When should I plant sesame in Thabo Mofutsanyane?
Typically 18 Oct 2026 to 28 Oct 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Thabo Mofutsanyane, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
