Growing Butternut Squash in Meru

Soil suitability analysis based on Meru's nutrient profile

Meru County is a solid choice for Butternut Squash, with a soil-match score of 60/100. At an average pH of 4.88 the soil is strongly acidic, below Butternut Squash's preferred 5.5–7.5 range; agricultural lime will lift pH and unlock phosphorus the crop cannot otherwise access. Nitrogen (1.22 g/kg), phosphorus (20.3 mg/kg) and potassium (218 mg/kg) all meet Butternut Squash's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. Butternut Squash prefers sandy loam soils, while Meru is largely clay loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Butternut Squash is the #52 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Meru County. Butternut Squash's full potential is about 10,000 kg/acre (~KES 400,000/acre at KES 40/kg), but at Meru's 60/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 7,500 kg/acre (~KES 300,000/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.