Divisi
When to plant Tobacco in Gachoka
Embu, Kenya
Known here as tumbaku
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.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 12 Jan 2027 – 17 Feb 2027 opens in 15 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.3 t/ha | about 3.1 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 12 Apr 2027 to 17 Jun 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 meets its needs | 84% | |
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 5 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Gachoka 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 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Gachoka
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For tobacco in Gachoka, 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 2026/27 season in Gachoka
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to January 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 784 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 +1.0 °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 full main crop, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 3 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 71% of this area. |
| 71% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 215 growing days · about 780 mm · October to January |
|---|---|
| 21% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 162 growing days · about 640 mm · October to January |
| 7% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 245 growing days · about 940 mm · September to June |
last updated 30 September 2026
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 Gachoka
| Planting material | About 16,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 85 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 25 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 138 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 Gachoka 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.
Tobacco 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 tobacco grow well in Gachoka?
Gachoka rates as favourable for tobacco.
When should I plant tobacco in Gachoka?
Typically 12 Jan 2027 to 17 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Gachoka, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
