Divisi
When to plant Yam in Mandera East
Mandera, 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.
| Fit | Favourable |
|---|---|
| When to plant | 10 Feb 2026 – 21 Jan 2027 open now |
| Expected harvest | about 25.0 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 9 Aug 2026 to 17 Dec 2027, depending on the planting date |
| Ready to harvest | 180–330 days after planting |
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 outlook for Mandera East 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 21 Jan 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Mandera East
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 96% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For yam in Mandera East, 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 season in Mandera East
| Rain in a typical year | About 258 mm |
|---|---|
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — make sure water can drain off the field. |
| What that supports | too dry for rain-fed cropping without irrigation, warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season |
| Ground this covers | One kind of ground throughout. |
last updated 30 September 2026
Frost and pest pressure hold back about 15% 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 Mandera East
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 94 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 28 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 144 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 Mandera East 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 yam grow well in Mandera East?
Mandera East rates as favourable for yam.
When should I plant yam in Mandera East?
Typically 10 Feb 2026 to 21 Jan 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Mandera East, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.