Snow Peas farming guide — Kenya

Soil requirements, top counties, seed varieties, fertilizer plan & economics

Interested in starting or scaling snow peas farming in Kenya? This comprehensive guide maps out the optimal soil requirements (such as target pH ranges), the most suitable counties for growing snow peas, certified seed varieties, seasonal fertilizer guidelines, and a detailed per-acre production budget to set you up for a successful harvest.

Soil requirements

pH range
5.5–7.5
Nitrogen
low
Phosphorus
medium
Potassium
medium
Preferred texture: Loam

Optimizing soil and fertilizers for Snow Peas in Kenya

To achieve maximum yields when farming snow peas in Kenya, managing soil suitability is crucial. This crop performs best within a soil pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. Soils that fall outside this range can lock out essential macro and micro-nutrients, leading to stunted growth or crop failure. For acidic soils, applying dolomitic or calcitic agricultural lime is recommended at least 30 days before planting to normalize acidity.

Fertilizer application should be calibrated based on the crop’s nutrient demands. Snow Peas has a low nitrogen requirement, medium phosphorus requirement, and medium potassium demand. Using certified seed varieties suited for your specific altitude and rainfall pattern, combined with a precise basal and top-dressing program (such as applying None at None required), ensures high crop quality and protects your overall farm investment.

Best counties for Snow Peas

Challenging counties for Snow Peas

These counties may need soil amendments for Snow Peas

Certified seed varieties

Oregon Sugar PodMedium/Highland
East Africa Seeds · 60-70 days · 15-20 bags/acre
Flat edible pods; excellent export quality; disease tolerant.
Mammoth MeltingHighland
Simlaw Seeds · 65-75 days · 16-22 bags/acre
Large pods; sweet flavor; suited to highland export production.

Economics

Market priceKES 185/kg
Expected yield1,300 kg/acre

Est. revenueKES 240,500/acre

Top dressing

Product: None
Timing: None required
Bags/acre: 0

Snow peas fix nitrogen. Apply calcium foliar to support flowering.

Fertilizer prices

DAPKES 2,500
CANKES 2,500
NPK 17:17:17KES 2,500
UreaKES 2,500
LimeKES 1,500

Subsidized price / 50kg bag

Check your county for Snow Peas