Growing Garlic in Nakuru

Soil suitability analysis based on Nakuru's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Nakuru is well suited to Garlic. Nakuru's soil (pH 6.28, slightly acidic) gives Garlic a suitability score of 89/100. Match fertilizer to Nakuru's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Nakuru County is well suited to Garlic, scoring 89/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.28 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 6–7.5 band Garlic prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.59 g/kg), phosphorus (25.2 mg/kg) and potassium (239 mg/kg) all meet Garlic's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. Garlic prefers sandy loam soils, while Nakuru is largely clay loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. At current prices (about KES 275/kg) and a typical 3,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Garlic crop here can gross roughly KES 825,000 per acre.

89Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorNakuru soilGarlic needsStatus
pH6.2867.5OK
Nitrogen1.59 g/kgmin 1.2 g/kgOK
Phosphorus25.2 mg/kgmin 12 mg/kgOK
Potassium239 mg/kgmin 200 mg/kgOK
Rainfall900 mm500–900 mmOK
Altitude1,750 m0–2,500 mOK

Top dressing guide

Product
CAN
Timing
Week 3-4 after planting
Instruction
Apply when shoots are 15cm tall. Stop nitrogen applications once bulbing begins.
Bags per Acre
0.5

Recommended seed varieties

Early PinkMedium/Highland
Local/KALRO · 120-150 days · 1–1.5 tons/acre
Good bulb size; pungent flavor; stores well.
Purple StripeHighland
Local · 130-160 days · 0.9–1.3 tons/acre
High allicin content; excellent storage; suited to cold highlands.

Economics

Market priceKES 275/kg
Expected yield 3,000 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 825,000/acre

Preferred textureSandy Loam

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