Divisi
When to plant Tea in Hai
Kilimanjaro, United Republic of Tanzania
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) | 19 Feb 2027 – 24 Mar 2027 opens in 20 weeks | 1 Jan 2026 – 31 Dec 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.1 t/ha | same |
| Work it takes | 213–430 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 98% | |
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 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Hai 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 24 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Hai
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For tea in Hai, 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 2026 season in Hai
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to June 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 622 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — February 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 +1.1 °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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 34% of this area. |
| 34% | 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 610 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 17% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 189 growing days · about 760 mm · February to July |
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; cold for much of the year, with a short planting season 315 growing days · about 1,480 mm · September to July |
| 8% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 306 growing days · about 1,350 mm · September to July |
last updated 16 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 25% 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 Hai
| Planting material | About 12,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 105 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 52 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 Hai 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 Hai?
Hai rates as favourable for tea.
When should I plant tea in Hai?
Typically 19 Feb 2027 to 24 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Hai, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
