Growing Sunflower in Lamu
Soil suitability analysis based on Lamu's nutrient profile
Yes — Lamu is well suited to Sunflower. Lamu's soil (pH 6.31, slightly acidic) gives Sunflower a suitability score of 82/100. Match fertilizer to Lamu's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Lamu County is well suited to Sunflower, scoring 82/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.31 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Sunflower prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — measured at N 0.74 g/kg, P 9.6 mg/kg, K 117 mg/kg against this crop's medium/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. The county's predominantly sandy soils suit Sunflower, which favours sandy. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Sunflower is the #21 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Lamu County. At current prices (about KES 48/kg) and a typical 750 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Sunflower crop here can gross roughly KES 36,000 per acre.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Lamu soil | Sunflower needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.31 | 6–7.5 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.74 g/kg | min 0.8 g/kg | Low |
| Phosphorus | 9.6 mg/kg | min 12 mg/kg | Low |
| Potassium | 117 mg/kg | min 150 mg/kg | Low |
| Rainfall | 600 mm | 400–800 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 10 m | 0–2,000 m | OK |
Planting calendar for Lamu
Long Rains· April–JuneMain season here
Short Rains· November–January
Dry Season· February–April
Top dressing guide
Lamu's nitrogen (0.74 g/kg) is 93% of the 0.8 g/kg Sunflower needs, so the standard 0.5 bags/acre is raised to 0.75. Split it across two applications to limit leaching.
Seed varieties for Lamu
Varieties suited to Lamu's 10 m altitude and 600 mm annual rainfall — 1 of 2 sunflower varieties we list.
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag