Divisi
When to plant Yam in Kamukunji
Nairobi, 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 | 20 Sep 2026 – 20 Oct 2026 open now | 10 Jun 2026 – 28 Oct 2026 |
| Expected harvest | about 15.0 t/ha | about 23.2 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 19 Mar 2027 to 15 Sep 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 180–330 days after planting | |
| Rain meets its needs | 79% | |
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 30 Sep 2026. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's outlook for Kamukunji 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 20 Oct 2026 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Kamukunji
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 88% |
For yam in Kamukunji, 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 season in Kamukunji
| 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 832 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning wet — January, February, October, 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 +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 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 50% of this area. |
| 50% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 234 growing days · about 860 mm · February to June |
|---|---|
| 25% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 230 growing days · about 830 mm · February to June |
| 25% | enough rain for one short crop, and only if timed to it; warm all year, so nothing but rain ends the season 179 growing days · about 660 mm · February to June |
last updated 30 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 35% 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 Kamukunji
| Planting material | About 10,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 56 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 16 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 86 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 Kamukunji 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 Kamukunji?
Kamukunji rates as favourable for yam.
When should I plant yam in Kamukunji?
Typically 20 Sep 2026 to 20 Oct 2026, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Kamukunji, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
