Divisi
When to plant Sunflower in Ibadan North East
Oyo, Nigeria
Known here as furen rana
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 | 13 Mar 2027 – 5 Sep 2027 opens in 23 weeks | 2 Mar 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.6 t/ha | about 2.3 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 11 Jun 2027 to 13 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 24 Mar 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Ibadan North East is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 5 Sep 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ibadan North East
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For sunflower in Ibadan North East, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2026 season in Ibadan North East
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | March 2026 to November 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,288 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,288 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +0.8 °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 | 2 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 266 growing days · about 1,260 mm · March to November |
|---|---|
| 40% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 265 growing days · about 1,290 mm · March to November |
last updated 1 October 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 Ibadan North East
| Planting material | About 50,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 72 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 32 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 128 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 Ibadan North 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 Ibadan North East?
Ibadan North East rates as favourable for sunflower.
When should I plant sunflower in Ibadan North East?
Typically 13 Mar 2027 to 5 Sep 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ibadan North 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.
