Divisi
When to plant Swiss chard in Province de Khenifra
Beni Mellal Khenifra, Morocco
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 | 21 Sep 2026 – 11 Oct 2026 open now | 10 Feb 2026 – 18 Sep 2026 |
| Expected harvest | 6.8–8.4 t/ha | about 26.8 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 19 Jan 2027 to 9 Apr 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 | 86% | |
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 1 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Province de Khenifra is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 11 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Province de Khenifra
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 30% |
For swiss chard in Province de Khenifra, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 30%. 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 Province de Khenifra
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 521 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 521 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 full main crop, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 72% of this area. |
| 72% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 207 growing days · about 510 mm · October to April |
|---|---|
| 19% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 103 growing days · about 340 mm |
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 176 growing days · about 380 mm · October to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 65% 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 Province de Khenifra
| Planting material | About 200,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 10 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 47 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 Province de Khenifra 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 Province de Khenifra?
Province de Khenifra rates as moderate for swiss chard.
When should I plant swiss chard in Province de Khenifra?
Typically 21 Sep 2026 to 11 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Province de Khenifra, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
