Divisi
When to plant Sweet potato in Okaku
Oshana, Namibia
Sweet potato is a trailing vine you grow from vine cuttings (slips), not from seed and not by planting the root.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 11 Apr 2027 – 20 Apr 2027 opens in 27 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 16.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 10 Jul 2027 to 17 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 70–148 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 11 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Okaku is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 20 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Okaku
| Rain and temperature | 60% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For sweet potato in Okaku, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Okaku
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 571 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 571 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.6 °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 | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 95% of this area. |
| 95% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 132 growing days · about 560 mm · December to April |
|---|---|
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 125 growing days · about 530 mm · December to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 50% of yield here.
What sweet potato needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy, sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.0 and 6.5 |
| Rain it needs | About 750–1,000 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 100 cm between rows, 30 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and nitrogen |
What it takes to grow sweet potato in Okaku
| Planting material | About 33,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 65 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 24 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 130 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 | 70–148 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a sweet potato 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 potato with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Okaku 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.
Where to sell Sweet potato nearby
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 potato grow well in Okaku?
Okaku rates as favourable for sweet potato.
When should I plant sweet potato in Okaku?
Typically 11 Apr 2027 to 20 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Okaku, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
