Divisi
When to plant Sunflower in Garsen
Tana River, 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 | 17 Mar 2027 – 16 Apr 2027 opens in 24 weeks | 11 Apr 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.9 t/ha | about 3.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 15 Jun 2027 to 24 Aug 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 6 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Garsen 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 16 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Garsen
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For sunflower in Garsen, 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 2026/27 season in Garsen
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to January 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 680 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.9 °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, 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 60% of this area. |
| 60% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 203 growing days · about 720 mm · September to January |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 147 growing days · about 580 mm · September to December |
| 14% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 171 growing days · about 620 mm · September to December |
| 3% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 249 growing days · about 950 mm · March to December |
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 Garsen
| 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 Garsen 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 Garsen?
Garsen rates as favourable for sunflower.
When should I plant sunflower in Garsen?
Typically 17 Mar 2027 to 16 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Garsen, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
