Growing Cabbage in Nyandarua

Soil suitability analysis based on Nyandarua's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes — Nyandarua is well suited to Cabbage. Nyandarua's soil (pH 5.38, strongly acidic) gives Cabbage a suitability score of 75/100. Apply agricultural lime before planting to unlock phosphorus and lift the score.

Nyandarua County is well suited to Cabbage, scoring 75/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.38 — moderately acidic and inside the 5–7.5 band Cabbage prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is phosphorus and potassium — measured at N 1.28 g/kg, P 14 mg/kg, K 166 mg/kg against this crop's high/high/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. The county's predominantly clay soils suit Cabbage, which favours clay loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Cabbage is the #18 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Nyandarua 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.

75Suitability score

Soil & climate match

FactorNyandarua soilCabbage needsStatus
pH5.3857.5OK
Nitrogen1.28 g/kgmin 1.2 g/kgOK
Phosphorus14 mg/kgmin 20 mg/kgLow
Potassium166 mg/kgmin 200 mg/kgLow
Rainfall1,100 mm700–1,500 mmOK
Altitude2,300 m800–2,500 mOK

Planting calendar for Nyandarua

Long Rains· MarchMayMain season here

March
Nursery & Transplanting & Basal Fertilizer
April
Top Dressing & Caterpillar Control
May
Head Formation & Pest Scouting

Short Rains· OctoberDecember

October
Nursery & Transplanting
November
Top Dressing & Pest Control
December
Harvesting

Dry Season· JanuaryMarch

January
Irrigation-based Transplanting
February
Top Dressing & Pest Management
March
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 in Nyandarua
1

Nyandarua's nitrogen (1.28 g/kg) already meets Cabbage's 1.2 g/kg requirement, so this is a maintenance rate.

Seed varieties for Nyandarua

Varieties suited to Nyandarua's 2,300 m altitude and 1,100 mm annual rainfall — 2 of 2 cabbage varieties we list.

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 in Nyandarua14,063 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 253,134/acre
Adjusted for Nyandarua's 75/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Cabbage can reach 15,000 kg/acre (~KES 270,000/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

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