What to plant in Dubai in summer

We call June to September summer, a month longer than the calendar does, because the garden feels it that way. September's average high of 39.5°C is almost identical to June's 40°C, July and August reach 41.5 and 41.9°C, and the UAE's midday outdoor work ban runs from 15 June to 15 September. The heat does not break until October, so neither does the survival routine.

Summer is about water, shade and restraint. Water deeply and early, finishing before about 7am; DEWA's own advice is to avoid the middle of the day and water before 8am or after 6pm. Keep mulch 5 to 7 cm deep, hold 30 to 50% shade cloth over young plants, and check drip lines weekly, because a blocked emitter can kill a plant in days. Do not fertilise or prune hard. Local gardeners quoted by The National say overwatering, not heat, kills most summer plants, so check the soil 5 cm down before adding water.

Planting is limited to heat-lovers: okra, Malabar spinach, sweet potato, Vinca and Portulaca in June, with little going out in July. August is for planning, soil preparation and seed trays started in shade: clear beds, flush salts with a deep irrigation, and add compost. September is gardening's new year, with warm-season vegetables, lawn overseeding and the first seedlings, all done with afternoon shade. Indoor plants and balcony pots make the best summer projects while the garden rests.