Divisi
When to plant Tobacco in Lushoto
Tanga, United Republic of Tanzania
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 | 6 Feb 2027 – 11 Mar 2027 opens in 18 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 2.5 t/ha | about 3.5 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 May 2027 to 9 Jul 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 | 85% | |
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 28 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Lushoto 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 11 Mar 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Lushoto
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 88% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For tobacco in Lushoto, the soil is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2025 season in Lushoto
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2025 to June 2025 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 565 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 | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 48% of this area. |
| 48% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 198 growing days · about 610 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 12% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 287 growing days · about 830 mm · October to July |
| 11% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 243 growing days · about 700 mm · October to June |
| 9% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 339 growing days · about 1,090 mm · September to August |
last updated 16 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 Lushoto
| Planting material | About 16,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 92 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 150 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 Lushoto 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 Lushoto?
Lushoto rates as favourable for tobacco.
When should I plant tobacco in Lushoto?
Typically 6 Feb 2027 to 11 Mar 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Lushoto, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
