Seasonal tips
Long Rains Planting Checklist: 10 Things to Do Before the First Drops
Planting a week late can cost more yield than any fertiliser can recover. Use this checklist to be ready when the long rains arrive.
JAAG Agronomy TeamCrop specialistsPublished 5 min read
In most of Kenya the long rains begin between March and April. The farmers who harvest most are usually not those with the most land or money — they are the ones who plant on the first reliable rains with everything ready.
The checklist
- Test your soil or at least review last season's yields to plan fertiliser.
- Choose a variety matched to your altitude and expected rainfall.
- Buy certified seed early, and keep the receipt and pack label.
- Book ploughing or land preparation 2–4 weeks ahead.
- Clear perennial weeds with a pre-plant herbicide where needed.
- Buy planting and top-dressing fertiliser before prices peak.
- Service your knapsack sprayer and replace worn nozzles.
- Buy PPE if you will be spraying.
- Plan intercrops and rotations to break pest and disease cycles.
- Agree labour for planting and weeding in advance.
Need a planting plan?
Our extension officers can visit and put together a season plan with variety, spacing, fertiliser and crop-protection timing, costed for your acreage.
