What to plant in August in Dubai

August is the peak of the heat and the quiet start of next year. Highs average nearly 42°C, the hottest of the twelve months, so the survival rules stand: water before sunrise, keep shade on young planting, and keep new planting to seed trays in shade. But the second half of the month is when preparation begins. Clear spent summer crops, fork in well-rotted compost or aged manure, and give the soil a long, deep irrigation to wash out the salts that build up over summer. Then leave it to settle.

This is also the time to rethink the plan. Walk the garden at 6am, note what struggled, and decide what to replace. Order seed and seedlings for the autumn vegetable garden, and start tomatoes, peppers and aubergines in trays in light shade, ready to go out in September. A garden is planned in August and planted from September, so the October rush is spent planting rather than deciding.