Divisi
When to plant Sunflower in Lamu East
Lamu, Kenya
Known here as alizeti
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 | 26 Mar 2027 – 9 May 2027 opens in 25 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.9 t/ha | about 2.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 24 Jun 2027 to 16 Sep 2027, 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 26 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Lamu East leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 9 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Lamu East
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For sunflower in Lamu East, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2027 season in Lamu East
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2027 to August 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 714 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| 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 | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 85% of this area. |
| 85% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 130 growing days · about 770 mm · March to August |
|---|---|
| 11% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 123 growing days · about 700 mm · April to July |
| 5% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 197 growing days · about 750 mm · March to November |
last updated 30 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 25% of yield here.
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 Lamu East
| Planting material | About 50,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 86 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 38 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 152 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 Lamu East 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 Lamu East?
Lamu East rates as favourable for sunflower.
When should I plant sunflower in Lamu East?
Typically 26 Mar 2027 to 9 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Lamu East, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
