Growing Cabbage in Narok

Soil suitability analysis based on Narok's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Narok is well suited to Cabbage. Narok's soil (pH 6.13, slightly acidic) gives Cabbage a suitability score of 93/100. Match fertilizer to Narok's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Narok County is well suited to Cabbage, scoring 93/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.13 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–7.5 band Cabbage prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.63 g/kg), phosphorus (25.7 mg/kg) and potassium (234 mg/kg) all meet Cabbage's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Cabbage, which favours clay loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Cabbage is the #8 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Narok County. At current prices (about KES 18/kg) and a typical 15,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Cabbage crop here can gross roughly KES 270,000 per acre.

93Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorNarok soilCabbage needsStatus
pH6.1357.5OK
Nitrogen1.63 g/kgmin 1.2 g/kgOK
Phosphorus25.7 mg/kgmin 20 mg/kgOK
Potassium234 mg/kgmin 200 mg/kgOK
Rainfall800 mm700–1,500 mmOK
Altitude1,700 m800–2,500 mOK

Planting calendar

Long Rains

Month 1
Nursery & Transplanting & Basal Fertilizer
Month 2
Top Dressing & Caterpillar Control
Month 3
Head Formation & Pest Scouting

Short Rains

Month 1
Nursery & Transplanting
Month 2
Top Dressing & Pest Control
Month 3
Harvesting

Dry Season

Month 1
Irrigation-based Transplanting
Month 2
Top Dressing & Pest Management
Month 3
Harvesting & Land Preparation

Top dressing guide

Product
CAN
Timing
Week 3 and Week 6 after transplanting
Instruction
Split into 2 applications. Cabbage is a heavy N feeder.
Bags per Acre
1

Recommended seed varieties

Gloria F1Medium/Highland
East Africa Seeds · 70-85 days · 15–20 tons/acre
Compact heads; tolerant to black rot.
Copenhagen MarketMedium/Highland
Simlaw Seeds · 80-95 days · 12.5–17.5 tons/acre
Round heads; reliable open-pollinated variety.

Economics

Market priceKES 18/kg
Expected yield 15,000 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 270,000/acre

Preferred textureClay Loam

Fertilizer prices

DAP
KES 3,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,875(5,700)
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