Growing Sweet Orange in Lamu

Soil suitability analysis based on Lamu's nutrient profile

Lamu County is a solid choice for Sweet Orange, with a soil-match score of 69/100. Local soils average pH 6.31 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Sweet Orange 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 high/high/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. Sweet Orange prefers loam soils, while Lamu is largely sandy, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. Sweet Orange's full potential is about 12,000 kg/acre (~KES 600,000/acre at KES 50/kg), but at Lamu's 69/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 10,350 kg/acre (~KES 517,500/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.