Growing Butternut Squash in Vihiga

Soil suitability analysis based on Vihiga's nutrient profile

Vihiga County is a solid choice for Butternut Squash, with a soil-match score of 60/100. Local soils average pH 5.62 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.5–7.5 band Butternut Squash prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is potassium — measured at N 1.02 g/kg, P 14.8 mg/kg, K 164 mg/kg against this crop's medium/medium/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. Butternut Squash prefers sandy loam soils, while Vihiga is largely clay loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Butternut Squash is the #49 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Vihiga County. Butternut Squash's full potential is about 10,000 kg/acre (~KES 400,000/acre at KES 40/kg), but at Vihiga's 60/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 7,500 kg/acre (~KES 300,000/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.