Divisi
When to plant Swiss chard in Marakwet East
Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kenya
Known here as mchicha
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 | 30 Mar 2027 – 29 Apr 2027 opens in 26 weeks | 30 Jun 2026 – 11 Apr 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 24.0 t/ha | about 18.4 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 28 Jul 2027 to 26 Oct 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 9 Apr 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Marakwet East is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 29 Apr 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Marakwet East
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For swiss chard in Marakwet East, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2027/28 season in Marakwet East
| When the rains are expected | February 2027 to January 2028 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,173 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 1,173 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 56% of this area. |
| 56% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 350 growing days · about 1,210 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 23% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 166 growing days · about 670 mm · March to September |
| 7% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 284 growing days · about 940 mm · March to December |
| 7% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 254 growing days · about 780 mm · March to December |
last updated 30 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 Marakwet East
| Planting material | About 200,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 84 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 30 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 144 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 Marakwet East 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 Marakwet East?
Marakwet East rates as favourable for swiss chard.
When should I plant swiss chard in Marakwet East?
Typically 30 Mar 2027 to 29 Apr 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Marakwet East, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
