Divisi
When to plant Swiss chard in Rio Campo
Litoral, Guinea Ecuatorial
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 | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 21 May 2027 – 30 May 2027 opens in 33 weeks | same |
| Expected harvest | about 18.4 t/ha | about 37.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 Sep 2027 to 26 Nov 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 | 71% | |
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 21 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Rio Campo leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 30 May 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Rio Campo
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For swiss chard in Rio Campo, 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 2025 season in Rio Campo
| When the rains are expected | August 2025 to August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 2,551 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry. Plant at the early end of the window and favour quicker, more drought-tolerant crops. |
| 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 | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 30% 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 Rio Campo
| Planting material | About 200,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 64 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 23 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 110 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 Rio Campo 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 Rio Campo?
Rio Campo rates as favourable for swiss chard.
When should I plant swiss chard in Rio Campo?
Typically 21 May 2027 to 30 May 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Rio Campo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
