Divisi
When to plant Swiss chard in Harbil
Setif, Algeria
Swiss chard — muriwo, mchicha, silverbeet, spinach beet — is the dependable 'spinach' of African markets and home gardens, though it is not true spinach.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 12 Sep 2026 – 2 Oct 2026 open now | 10 Feb 2027 – 2 Mar 2027 |
| Expected harvest | 11.0–12.5 t/ha | about 17.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 10 Jan 2027 to 31 Mar 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 120–180 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 73–145 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 73% | |
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 22 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Harbil is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 2 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Harbil
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For swiss chard in Harbil, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 2026/27 season in Harbil
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 541 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 541 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 full main crop, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 73% of this area. |
| 73% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 216 growing days · about 560 mm · October to May |
|---|---|
| 27% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 222 growing days · about 580 mm · September to May |
last updated 18 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 45% of yield here.
What swiss chard 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 6.8 |
| Rain it needs | About 600–1,500 mm across the season |
| Spacing | 50 cm between rows, 27 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium and boron |
What it takes to grow swiss chard in Harbil
| Planting material | About 200,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 42 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 15 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 72 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 | 73–145 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a swiss chard 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 Swiss chard with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Harbil 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.
Swiss chard 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 swiss chard grow well in Harbil?
Harbil rates as moderate for swiss chard.
When should I plant swiss chard in Harbil?
Typically 12 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Harbil, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
