Divisi
When to plant Sunflower in Northern
Sidama, Ethiopia
Known here as ጸሐይ አበባ (tsehay abeba)
Sunflower is a tall, upright plant — about 1–2 m, higher than your head — that carries one big flower head on top.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 2 Mar 2027 – 29 Aug 2027 opens in 22 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.2 t/ha | about 3.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 31 May 2027 to 6 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–130 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 74–155 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 22 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Northern is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 29 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Northern
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For sunflower in Northern, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Northern
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,124 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,124 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, 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 36% of this area. |
| 36% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 280 growing days · about 1,120 mm · February to November |
|---|---|
| 31% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 262 growing days · about 960 mm · March to November |
| 20% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 318 growing days · about 1,250 mm · February to December |
| 4% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 312 growing days · about 1,200 mm · February to December |
last updated 16 September 2026
What sunflower needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 400–750 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 60 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | boron, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium |
What it takes to grow sunflower in Northern
| Planting material | About 50,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 99 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 44 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 176 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 | 74–155 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sunflower 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 Sunflower with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Northern 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.
Sunflower 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 sunflower grow well in Northern?
Northern rates as favourable for sunflower.
When should I plant sunflower in Northern?
Typically 2 Mar 2027 to 29 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Northern, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
