Divisi
When to plant Swiss chard in Ondobe
Ohangwena, Namibia
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 | 9 Dec 2026 – 18 Dec 2026 opens in 10 weeks | 2 Mar 2027 – 21 May 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 15.8 t/ha | about 46.3 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 8 Apr 2027 to 16 Jun 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 | 83% | |
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 Dec 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Ondobe yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 18 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Ondobe
| Rain and temperature | 76% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For swiss chard in Ondobe, 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 Ondobe
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | November 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 632 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 632 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 short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 87% of this area. |
| 87% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 134 growing days · about 620 mm · November to April |
|---|---|
| 13% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 133 growing days · about 590 mm · November to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Temperature holds back about 40% 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 Ondobe
| Planting material | About 200,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 55 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 95 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 Ondobe 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 Ondobe?
Ondobe rates as favourable for swiss chard.
When should I plant swiss chard in Ondobe?
Typically 9 Dec 2026 to 18 Dec 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Ondobe, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
