Growing Butternut Squash in Machakos
Soil suitability analysis based on Machakos's nutrient profile
Yes — Machakos is well suited to Butternut Squash. Machakos's soil (pH 7.03, near-neutral) gives Butternut Squash a suitability score of 86/100. Match fertilizer to Machakos's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Machakos County is well suited to Butternut Squash, scoring 86/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 7.03 — neutral and inside the 5.5–7.5 band Butternut Squash prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.82 g/kg), phosphorus (31.4 mg/kg) and potassium (338 mg/kg) all meet Butternut Squash's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Butternut Squash, which favours sandy loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Butternut Squash is the #26 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Machakos County. At current prices (about KES 40/kg) and a typical 10,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Butternut Squash crop here can gross roughly KES 400,000 per acre.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Machakos soil | Butternut Squash needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 7.03 | 5.5–7.5 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.82 g/kg | min 0.8 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 31.4 mg/kg | min 12 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 338 mg/kg | min 200 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 700 mm | 500–1,200 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 1,100 m | 0–2,000 m | OK |
Planting calendar
Long Rains
Short Rains
Dry Season
Top dressing guide
Recommended seed varieties
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag