Divisi
When to plant Swiss chard in KaMpfumo
Cidade de Maputo, Moçambique
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 | 20 Sep 2026 – 29 Sep 2026 closed for this season | 22 Mar 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 12.1 t/ha | about 50.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 18 Jan 2027 to 28 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 | 54% | |
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 20 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches KaMpfumo yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 29 Sep 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in KaMpfumo
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For swiss chard in KaMpfumo, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 76%. 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 KaMpfumo
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 785 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, October, November and December look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.0 °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 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 75% of this area. |
| 75% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 195 growing days · about 760 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 207 growing days · about 790 mm · October to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
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 KaMpfumo
| 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 73 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 KaMpfumo 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 Swiss chard nearby
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 KaMpfumo?
KaMpfumo rates as moderate for swiss chard.
When should I plant swiss chard in KaMpfumo?
Typically 20 Sep 2026 to 29 Sep 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across KaMpfumo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
