Kenya Crop Planting Calendar by Region

A regional planting calendar for major Kenyan crops aligned with the long rains (March-May) and short rains (October-December) seasons, based on KALRO data.

Kenya Rainfall Seasons

Kenya has two main rainfall seasons:

Long Rains (LR): March to May - main season
Short Rains (SR): October to December - secondary season

Some areas (western Kenya, coastal strip) receive additional rainfall.

Planting Calendar by Region

Central Highlands (Kiambu, Nyeri, Muranga, Kirinyaga)

Crop	Long Rains	Short Rains	Altitude
Maize	March-April	October-Nov	1200-2100m
Beans	March-April	October-Nov	1200-2100m
Irish Potato	February-March	August-Sept	1800-2600m
Tomatoes	February-March	August-Sept	Best with irrigation
Kale	Year round	Year round	All altitudes
Capsicum	Year round	Year round	Best in greenhouse

Rift Valley (Nakuru, Nandi, Uasin Gishu)

Crop	Long Rains	Short Rains
Maize	March-April	-
Wheat	April-May	October-Nov
Sunflower	March-April	October-Nov
Pyrethrum	March-April	-
Potatoes	March-April	Sept-October

Eastern (Machakos, Makueni, Kitui)

Crop	Long Rains	Short Rains
Maize	March-April	October-Nov
Sorghum	March-April	October-Nov
Cowpeas	March-April	October-Nov
Tomatoes	With irrigation	With irrigation
Green grams	October-Nov	-

Western (Kisumu, Kakamega, Bungoma)

Crop	Season 1	Season 2
Maize	February-March	August-Sept
Beans	February-March	August-Sept
Sugarcane	Year round	Year round
Sorghum	February-March	August-Sept
Groundnuts	February-March	August-Sept

Coastal Lowlands (Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi)

Crop	Long Rains	Short Rains
Maize	March-April	October-Nov
Cassava	Year round	Year round
Cashew	March-May	-
Coconut	Year round	Year round

General Guidelines

Plant within 2 weeks of onset of rains
Soil temperature for germination: 18-25°C
Do soil test every 2-3 seasons
Rotate crops to manage pests and diseases
Keep records of planting dates and yields

Climate Smart Tips

Plant drought-tolerant varieties in low rainfall areas
Use mulch to conserve soil moisture
Practice minimum tillage to reduce erosion
Intercrop legumes with cereals for soil fertility