Divisi
When to plant Teff in Swakopmund
Erongo, Namibia
Teff (Eragrostis tef) is a fine, tufted grass that carries the smallest grain of any cereal in the world — seed almost as fine as dust.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 22 Mar 2026 – 18 Sep 2026 closed for this season |
| Expected harvest | about 3.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 21 May 2026 to 16 Jan 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 60–120 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 88–174 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 11 Apr 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Swakopmund is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 18 Sep 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Swakopmund
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For teff in Swakopmund, 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 season in Swakopmund
| Rain in a typical year | About 25 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 25 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, 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 85% of this area. |
| 85% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 20 mm |
|---|---|
| 15% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season no rain-fed season · about 30 mm |
last updated 17 September 2026
The soil holds back about 10% of yield here.
What teff needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | sandy loam, loam, clay loam or clay |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.2 and 5.8 |
| Feed it most with | phosphorus, nitrogen, zinc, sulphur and boron |
What it takes to grow teff in Swakopmund
| Planting material | About 3,000,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 96 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 32 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 80 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 | 88–174 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a teff 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 Teff with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Swakopmund 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 teff grow well in Swakopmund?
Swakopmund rates as favourable for teff.
When should I plant teff in Swakopmund?
Typically 22 Mar 2026 to 18 Sep 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Swakopmund, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.