Divisi
When to plant Tea in North Shewa (OR)
Oromia, Ethiopia
Tea (Camellia sinensis) is an evergreen highland bush you grow not for one harvest but as a living plucking table — a flat-topped hedge, kept pruned to about waist height, that pushes out soft new shoots again and again for a whole generation.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant (establish) | 21 May 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 opens in 33 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.6 t/ha | about 3.2 t/ha |
| Work it takes | 213–430 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 20 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for North Shewa (OR) is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 20 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in North Shewa (OR)
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For tea in North Shewa (OR), the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2027 season in North Shewa (OR)
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | April 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 996 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 996 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.3 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 45% of this area. |
| 45% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 211 growing days · about 1,020 mm · March to October |
|---|---|
| 29% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 159 growing days · about 790 mm · May to October |
| 14% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 169 growing days · about 950 mm · May to October |
| 11% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 149 growing days · about 700 mm · May to October |
last updated 16 September 2026
What tea needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 4.5 and 5.5 |
| Spacing | 120 cm between rows, 60 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen, potassium and zinc |
What it takes to grow tea in North Shewa (OR)
| Planting material | About 12,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 130 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 20 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 65 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 | 213–430 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a tea 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 Tea with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes North Shewa (OR) 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.
Tea 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 tea grow well in North Shewa (OR)?
North Shewa (OR) rates as favourable for tea.
When should I plant tea in North Shewa (OR)?
Typically 21 May 2027 to 20 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across North Shewa (OR), not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
