Growing Garden Peas in Lamu
Soil suitability analysis based on Lamu's nutrient profile
Generally not ideal — Lamu is poorly suited to Garden Peas. Lamu's soil (pH 6.31, slightly acidic) gives Garden Peas a suitability score of 0/100. Match fertilizer to Lamu's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Lamu County is a challenging environment for Garden Peas (soil-match score 0/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.31 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.5–7 band Garden Peas prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is phosphorus and potassium — measured at N 0.74 g/kg, P 9.6 mg/kg, K 117 mg/kg against this crop's low/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. The county's predominantly sandy soils suit Garden Peas, which favours sandy loam. At 10 m, the county sits below Garden Peas's preferred altitude range (1500–2600 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Garden Peas is the #85 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Lamu County. Garden Peas's full potential is about 2,500 kg/acre (~KES 362,500/acre at KES 145/kg), but at Lamu's 0/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 0 kg/acre (~KES 0/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.
Better matched to Lamu's soil: Sesame (Simsim), Sorghum, and Cowpeas — each scores higher on the same soil.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Lamu soil | Garden Peas needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.31 | 5.5–7 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.74 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 9.6 mg/kg | min 12 mg/kg | Low |
| Potassium | 117 mg/kg | min 150 mg/kg | Low |
| Rainfall | 600 mm | 800–2,100 mm | Low |
| Altitude | 10 m | 1,500–2,600 m | Low |
Recommended seed varieties
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag