Divisi
When to plant Tomato in Sao Lourenco
Sao Filipe, Cabo Verde
Tomato is the number-one cash vegetable across sub-Saharan Africa — and one of the most demanding.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Moderate | |
| When to plant | 3 Jul 2027 – 23 Jul 2027 opens in 39 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 15.8 t/ha | about 47.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 1 Oct 2027 to 20 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 81–160 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 70% | |
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 3 Jul 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Sao Lourenco is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 23 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Sao Lourenco
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 45% |
For tomato in Sao Lourenco, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 45%. 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 2027 season in Sao Lourenco
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | July 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 436 mm |
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 436 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it, 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 60% of this area. |
| 60% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 99 growing days · about 400 mm · July to October |
|---|---|
| 20% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 150 growing days · about 610 mm · July to November |
| 20% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 116 growing days · about 450 mm · July to October |
last updated 1 October 2026
Sloping ground holds back about 45% of yield here.
What tomato needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8 |
| Spacing | 80 cm between rows, 40 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, nitrogen, calcium and boron |
What it takes to grow tomato in Sao Lourenco
| Planting material | About 33,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 41 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 58 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 | 81–160 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a tomato 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 Tomato with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Sao Lourenco 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.
Tomato 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 tomato grow well in Sao Lourenco?
Sao Lourenco rates as moderate for tomato.
When should I plant tomato in Sao Lourenco?
Typically 3 Jul 2027 to 23 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Sao Lourenco, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
