Divisi
When to plant Tomato in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati
North West, South Africa
Known here as utamatisi · itumato · tamatie
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 Dec 2026 – 23 Dec 2026 opens in 9 weeks | 29 Aug 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 15.3 t/ha | about 64.8 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 3 Mar 2027 to 22 May 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 | 44% | |
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 13 Dec 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 23 Dec 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 96% |
For tomato in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, 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 Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | December 2026 to April 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 483 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February and December look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +2.4 °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 5% of this area. |
| 95% | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth no rain-fed season · about 400 mm |
|---|---|
| 5% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 79 growing days · about 490 mm · December to April |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 60% 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 Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati
| Planting material | About 33,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 40 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 11 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 57 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 Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati 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.
Where to sell Tomato nearby
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 Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati?
Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati rates as moderate for tomato.
When should I plant tomato in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati?
Typically 3 Dec 2026 to 23 Dec 2026, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
