Divisi
When to plant Yam in Gichugu
Kirinyaga, Kenya
Known here as kiazi kikuu
Yam is a climbing vine that grows one big food tuber underground over a long 7-11 month season.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 6 Sep 2026 – 6 Oct 2026 open now | 1 Jan 2027 – 30 Apr 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 11.6 t/ha | same |
| Harvest | From 5 Mar 2027 to 1 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 180–330 days after planting | |
| 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 16 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Gichugu leans wet. Plant at the early end of the window, and make sure water can drain off the field — a wet year does more damage through waterlogging than through the rain itself.
Planting after 6 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Gichugu
| Rain and temperature | 88% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For yam in Gichugu, 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 2025 season in Gichugu
| When the rains are expected | December 2025 to December 2025 |
|---|---|
| Rain in a typical year | About 1,977 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — 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 +1.0 °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 a long crop, or two in a year, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 47% of this area. |
| 47% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 345 growing days · about 1,610 mm · February to January |
|---|---|
| 16% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 258 growing days · about 1,210 mm · September to July |
| 16% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 365 growing days · about 1,750 mm · January to December |
| 8% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 365 growing days · about 1,780 mm · January to December |
last updated 30 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 30% of yield here.
What yam needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam or loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 5.5 and 7.0 |
| Spacing | 100 cm between rows, 100 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | nitrogen and potassium |
What it takes to grow yam in Gichugu
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 44 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 13 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 67 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. |
These are the nutrients a yam 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 Yam with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Gichugu 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.
Yam 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 yam grow well in Gichugu?
Gichugu rates as favourable for yam.
When should I plant yam in Gichugu?
Typically 6 Sep 2026 to 6 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Gichugu, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
