Divisi
When to plant Sunflower in Kailahun
Eastern, Sierra Leone
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 | 16 Apr 2027 – 30 Jul 2027 opens in 28 weeks | 1 May 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.1 t/ha | about 3.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 15 Jul 2027 to 7 Dec 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 1 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Kailahun is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 30 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kailahun
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For sunflower in Kailahun, 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 Kailahun
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to December 2026 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 2,436 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 2,436 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 97% of this area. |
| 97% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 315 growing days · about 2,510 mm · February to December |
|---|---|
| 3% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 314 growing days · about 2,660 mm · February to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% 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 Kailahun
| Planting material | About 50,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 94 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 42 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 168 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 Kailahun 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 Kailahun?
Kailahun rates as favourable for sunflower.
When should I plant sunflower in Kailahun?
Typically 16 Apr 2027 to 30 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kailahun, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
