Divisi
When to plant Swiss chard in Garoowe
Nugaal, Somalia
Swiss chard — muriwo, mchicha, silverbeet, spinach beet — is the dependable 'spinach' of African markets and home gardens, though it is not true spinach.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 28 Oct 2026 – 7 Dec 2026 opens in 4 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 42.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 25 Feb 2027 to 5 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-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 28 Oct 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Garoowe leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 7 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Garoowe
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For swiss chard in Garoowe, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 season in Garoowe
| Rain in a typical year | About 154 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 16 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% 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 Garoowe
| Planting material | About 200,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 147 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 53 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 253 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 Garoowe 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.
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 Garoowe?
Garoowe rates as favourable for swiss chard.
When should I plant swiss chard in Garoowe?
Typically 28 Oct 2026 to 7 Dec 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Garoowe, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.