Growing Garden Peas in Makueni

Soil suitability analysis based on Makueni's nutrient profile

Makueni County is a challenging environment for Garden Peas (soil-match score 18/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. At an average pH of 7.5 the soil sits above Garden Peas's preferred 5.5–7 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. Nitrogen (0.86 g/kg), phosphorus (29.6 mg/kg) and potassium (351 mg/kg) all meet Garden Peas's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Garden Peas, which favours sandy loam. At 1000 m, the county sits below Garden Peas's preferred altitude range (1500–2600 m), which limits yield potential due to heat stress. At current prices (about KES 145/kg) and a typical 2,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Garden Peas crop here can gross roughly KES 290,000 per acre.