Divisi
When to plant Tea in Bundibugyo
Western, Uganda
Known here as chai
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 Jan 2026 – 17 Nov 2026 open now | 1 Jan 2026 – 31 Dec 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.3 t/ha | same |
| 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 2 Mar 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Bundibugyo 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 17 Nov 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Bundibugyo
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 18% |
For tea in Bundibugyo, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 18%. 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 Bundibugyo
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to January 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,003 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, November and December look heavier than usual. Make sure water can drain off the field; a wet year does more damage through waterlogging and disease than through the rain itself. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, 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 53% of this area. |
| 53% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 332 growing days · about 1,040 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 17% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,390 mm · January to December |
| 16% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,300 mm · December to December |
| 10% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; cold for much of the year, with a short planting season 365 growing days · about 1,770 mm · January to December |
last updated 17 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 30% of yield here.
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 Bundibugyo
| Planting material | About 12,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 115 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 17 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 57 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 Bundibugyo 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 Bundibugyo?
Bundibugyo rates as favourable for tea.
When should I plant tea in Bundibugyo?
Typically 21 Jan 2026 to 17 Nov 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Bundibugyo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
