When to plant Watermelon in Foundiougne
Fatick, Sénégal
Known here as pastèque · melon d'eau
Watermelon is a warm-season trailing vine, grown flat along the ground for its big, sweet, thirst-quenching fruit — a cousin of pumpkin, cucumber and melon.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 19 Jun 2027 – 19 Jul 2027 opens in 37 weeks | 21 May 2026 – 22 Mar 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 35.0 t/ha | about 50.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 Sep 2027 to 6 Nov 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 80–110 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 46–96 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 29 Jun 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Foundiougne leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 19 Jul 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Foundiougne
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For watermelon in Foundiougne, 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 2027 season in Foundiougne
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | June 2027 to October 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 582 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — September looks 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 +0.7 °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 all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 2 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 94% of this area. |
| 94% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 125 growing days · about 670 mm · June to October |
|---|---|
| 6% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 126 growing days · about 720 mm · June to October |
last updated 30 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% of yield here.
What watermelon needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 240 cm between rows, 140 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | potassium, boron and calcium |
What it takes to grow watermelon in Foundiougne
| Planting material | About 4,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 77 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 21 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 112 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 | 46–96 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a watermelon 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 Watermelon with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Foundiougne 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.
Or check your field firstWhere to sell Watermelon nearby
Watermelon 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 watermelon grow well in Foundiougne?
Foundiougne rates as favourable for watermelon.
When should I plant watermelon in Foundiougne?
Typically 19 Jun 2027 to 19 Jul 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Foundiougne, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.