Divisi
When to plant Tomato in Marsa Matruh
Matrouh, Egypt
Tomato is the number-one cash vegetable across sub-Saharan Africa — and one of the most demanding.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 21 Jan 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 opens in 16 weeks |
| Expected harvest | about 64.8 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 21 Apr 2027 to 6 Jan 2028, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 90–150 days after planting |
| Work it takes | 81–160 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 21 Jan 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Marsa Matruh is close to normal, so these dates match the pattern the area usually follows.
Planting after 9 Aug 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Marsa Matruh
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For tomato in Marsa Matruh, 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 season in Marsa Matruh
| Rain in a typical year | About 104 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Rain close to usual — plan around about 104 mm falling roughly when it always does |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 18 September 2026
The soil holds back about 10% 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 Marsa Matruh
| Planting material | About 33,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 168 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 45 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 240 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 Marsa Matruh 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 tomato grow well in Marsa Matruh?
Marsa Matruh rates as favourable for tomato.
When should I plant tomato in Marsa Matruh?
Typically 21 Jan 2027 to 9 Aug 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Marsa Matruh, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.