Growing Lemongrass in Machakos
Soil suitability analysis based on Machakos's nutrient profile
Machakos County is well suited to Lemongrass, scoring 86/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 7.03 — neutral and inside the 5.5–7.5 band Lemongrass prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.82 g/kg), phosphorus (31.4 mg/kg) and potassium (338 mg/kg) all meet Lemongrass's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Lemongrass, which favours loam. At current prices (about KES 60/kg) and a typical 8,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Lemongrass crop here can gross roughly KES 480,000 per acre.
Suitability score
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Machakos soil | Lemongrass 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 150 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 700 mm | 700–1,800 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 1,100 m | 0–2,000 m | OK |
Planting calendar
Long Rains
Month 1
Slip Planting & Basal
Month 2
Weeding & Top Dressing
Month 3
First Cutting
Short Rains
Month 1
Slip Planting & Basal
Month 2
Weeding & Top Dressing
Month 3
First Cutting
Top dressing guide
Product
CAN
Timing
Every 2 months
Instruction
Ratoon crop — top-dress each cutting cycle for continuous biomass.
Bags per Acre
0.4
Economics
Market priceKES 60/kg
Expected yield 8,000 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 480,000/acre
Preferred textureLoam
Fertilizer prices
DAP
KES 3,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,875(4,500)
NPK 17:17:17
KES 3,275(5,600)
Urea
KES 3,500(5,500)
Lime
KES 1,500(1,800)
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag