Growing Basil in Mombasa

Soil suitability analysis based on Mombasa's nutrient profile

Mombasa County is well suited to Basil, scoring 79/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.24 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Basil prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — measured at N 0.95 g/kg, P 8.4 mg/kg, K 136 mg/kg against this crop's high/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. Basil prefers loam soils, while Mombasa is largely sandy, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. At current prices (about KES 120/kg) and a typical 4,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Basil crop here can gross roughly KES 480,000 per acre.