Growing Beans in Taita Taveta
Soil suitability analysis based on Taita Taveta's nutrient profile
Yes — Taita Taveta is well suited to Beans. Taita Taveta's soil (pH 6.64, near-neutral) gives Beans a suitability score of 91/100. Match fertilizer to Taita Taveta's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
Taita Taveta County is well suited to Beans, scoring 91/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.64 — neutral and inside the 6–7 band Beans prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.97 g/kg), phosphorus (12.9 mg/kg) and potassium (104 mg/kg) all meet Beans's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly loam soils suit Beans, which favours loam. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Beans is the #7 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Taita Taveta County. At current prices (about KES 130/kg) and a typical 800 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Beans crop here can gross roughly KES 104,000 per acre.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | Taita Taveta soil | Beans needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.64 | 6–7 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.97 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 12.9 mg/kg | min 12 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 104 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 500 mm | 500–1,600 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 700 m | 0–2,500 m | OK |
Planting calendar for Taita Taveta
Long Rains· April–JuneMain season here
Short Rains· November–January
Dry Season· February–April
Top dressing guide
Taita Taveta's nitrogen reads 0.97 g/kg, but the rate stays at zero: Beans is not top-dressed, for the crop-specific reason above.
Seed varieties for Taita Taveta
Varieties suited to Taita Taveta's 700 m altitude and 500 mm annual rainfall — 4 of 7 beans varieties we list.
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag