Divisi
When to plant Sunflower in Seychelles
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 | 3 Nov 2026 – 21 Feb 2027 opens in 5 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 1.9 t/ha | about 2.6 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 1 Feb 2027 to 1 Jul 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 2 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Seychelles 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 21 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Seychelles
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For sunflower in Seychelles, 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 season in Seychelles
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 2,918 mm in a typical farming district |
| Across its districts | From about 883 mm in the driest of 8 districts to about 2,947 mm in the wettest |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — February, September, 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 +1.1 °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 | 5 kinds of ground. The season below is one typical farming district's, not a figure for the whole of this area. |
| 33% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 2,770 mm · January to December |
|---|---|
| 30% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 2,850 mm · January to December |
| 9% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 177 growing days · about 870 mm · November to May |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 204 growing days · about 930 mm · November to August |
| 6% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 174 growing days · about 870 mm · November to May |
last updated 18 September 2026 · from all 8 areas within it
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 Seychelles
| 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 Seychelles 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 Seychelles?
Seychelles rates as favourable for sunflower.
When should I plant sunflower in Seychelles?
Typically 3 Nov 2026 to 21 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Seychelles, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
