Divisi
When to plant Tobacco in Zenata
Tlemcen, Algeria
Tobacco is a tall, broad-leaved plant in the same family as tomato and potato, grown not for food but for its leaves, which are dried and cured, then sold by weight and grade.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 2 Mar 2027 – 20 Jul 2027 opens in 22 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 2.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 31 May 2027 to 17 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–120 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 120–242 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 Zenata 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 Zenata
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 60% |
For tobacco in Zenata, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 60%. 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 Zenata
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to March 2027 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 365 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 365 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.4 °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, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 80% of this area. |
| 80% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 164 growing days · about 360 mm · October to March |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 155 growing days · about 360 mm · October to March |
last updated 18 September 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 20% of yield here.
What tobacco needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 120 cm between rows, 55 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow tobacco in Zenata
| Planting material | About 16,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 107 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 32 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 174 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 | 120–242 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a tobacco 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 Tobacco with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Zenata 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 tobacco grow well in Zenata?
Zenata rates as favourable for tobacco.
When should I plant tobacco in Zenata?
Typically 2 Mar 2027 to 20 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Zenata, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
