Divisi
When to plant Sweet pepper in Epupa
Kunene, Namibia
Sweet pepper (bell pepper, capsicum) is a warm-season vegetable grown for its thick-walled, mild, juicy fruit — the kind you slice into relish, stew and salad.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 15 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 opens in 11 weeks | 22 Mar 2027 – 10 Jun 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 10.6 t/ha | about 31.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 14 Apr 2027 to 3 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 120–180 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 100–210 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 51% | |
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 25 Dec 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Epupa is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 4 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Epupa
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For sweet pepper in Epupa, 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 Epupa
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | January 2026 to April 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 298 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 298 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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 short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 44% of this area. |
| 48% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 190 mm |
|---|---|
| 44% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 101 growing days · about 380 mm · December to April |
| 4% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 230 mm |
| 3% | 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 420 mm · December to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 50% of yield here.
What sweet pepper needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 60 cm between rows, 40 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen and calcium |
What it takes to grow sweet pepper in Epupa
| Planting material | About 38,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 21 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 6 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 37 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 | 100–210 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sweet pepper 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 Sweet pepper with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Epupa 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.
Sweet pepper 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 sweet pepper grow well in Epupa?
Epupa rates as favourable for sweet pepper.
When should I plant sweet pepper in Epupa?
Typically 15 Dec 2026 to 4 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Epupa, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
