When to plant Teff in Ongwediva

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Teff

Oshana, 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.

Teff in Ongwediva, rain-fed and with irrigation
Fit Favourable
When to plant 1 May 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 opens in 30 weeks
Expected harvest about 3.5 t/ha
Harvest From 30 Jun 2027 to 17 Nov 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 1 May 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.

This season's rainfall outlook for Ongwediva 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 Ongwediva

Rain and temperature 96%
The soil 96%
The lie of the land 96%

For teff in Ongwediva, rain and temperature is the tightest of the three at 96%. This one is fixed. It is why the planting window above is where it is — hitting those dates is the whole of your control here.

The 2026/27 season in Ongwediva

Rainy seasonsOne each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it
When the rains are expectedNovember 2026 to April 2027
Rain in a typical yearAbout 550 mm
This season's rainRain close to usual — plan around about 550 mm falling roughly when it always does
This season's heatHotter than usual — about +1.6 °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 supportsenough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season
Ground this covers2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 90% of this area.
Agro-ecological zones covering this area
90% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 132 growing days · about 550 mm · November to April
10% enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 127 growing days · about 540 mm · December to April

last updated 17 September 2026

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 Ongwediva

Planting materialAbout 3,000,000 plants per hectare
Nitrogen (N)About 105 kg per hectare
Phosphate (P₂O₅)About 35 kg per hectare
Potash (K₂O)About 88 kg per hectare
In the shopsA 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 work88–174 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

Soil pH outside the crop's rangeCorrect soil pH (acidifier)Correctable with liming

Grow Teff with a plan, not a guess

Everything above describes Ongwediva 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.

Or check your field first

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 Ongwediva?

Ongwediva rates as favourable for teff.

When should I plant teff in Ongwediva?

Typically 1 May 2027 to 20 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.

Is this exact for my own field?

No — these are readings taken across Ongwediva, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.

Also worth considering in Ongwediva

Keep going

Timing is one question. What the crop needs at every stage, what attacks it and where to sell it are the others.