Divisi
When to plant Turmeric in Bondo
Siaya, Kenya
Known here as manjano · binzari manjano
Turmeric is a leafy, ginger-like plant grown for the bright orange, aromatic rhizome (underground stem) hidden beneath it — the source of the yellow spice, the dye, and its own next-season seed.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 6 Feb 2027 – 26 Feb 2027 opens in 18 weeks | 21 Jan 2026 – 1 Jan 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 11.0 t/ha | about 30.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 4 Sep 2027 to 23 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 210–300 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 159–282 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 60% | |
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 6 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
No seasonal forecast reaches Bondo yet, so these dates follow the rains it usually gets rather than this year's.
Planting after 26 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Bondo
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For turmeric in Bondo, the lie of the land is the tightest of the three at 88%. 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 2026 season in Bondo
| Rainy seasons | Two each year — two chances to plant |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | February 2026 to June 2026 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 760 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, 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 +0.8 °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 73% of this area. |
| 73% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 210 growing days · about 780 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 14% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 325 growing days · about 1,070 mm · February to January |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 213 growing days · about 800 mm · February to June |
last updated 30 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 55% of yield here.
What turmeric needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 6.5 |
| Spacing | 50 cm between rows, 25 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium and nitrogen |
What it takes to grow turmeric in Bondo
| Nitrogen (N) | About 38 kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 9 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 66 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 | 159–282 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a turmeric 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 Turmeric with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Bondo 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.
Turmeric 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 turmeric grow well in Bondo?
Bondo rates as favourable for turmeric.
When should I plant turmeric in Bondo?
Typically 6 Feb 2027 to 26 Feb 2027, typical season.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Bondo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
