How to Give UAE Plants the Best Nourishment
The climate in the UAE is tough on plants, which means it is essential to give them the best conditions possible.
It is one thing to be able to pick and place the right plants to create a beautiful garden but quite another to grow these to their full horticultural potential. The climate in the UAE is tough on plants, which means it is essential to give them the best conditions possible.
Providing a garden with the best possible growing medium is essential for strong and healthy shrubs. They require a balance of air, water and nutrients to allow them to flourish. Soil structures vary throughout different areas of the UAE but generally it is of a sand profile. Garden beds should have a good quality "sweet sand"- which is low in salt - as a base for the growing medium. If you are starting a garden from scratch it is advised you remove the existing sand and import sweet sand to a depth of approximately 300mm. Apply heat treated compost at the rate of 5kg per metre square (I find heat treated cow manure is the best available here). Once this has been applied, cultivate the bed areas until the compost is mixed through. Finally water it regularly, this will start to increase the water content of the soil.
For an existing garden it is even easier to improve the soil profile. Adding heat treated compost to all garden beds - being careful not to pour the compost over the plants - will improve the growth potential of flowers and shrubs. Once spread, cultivate the garden beds and then water. Adding compost here in the UAE is an important process and should be applied every six to eight weeks. Being a sand soil profile the nutrients are washed out of the soil quickly so it is important to replenish them regularly. Yellowing of leaves can often be a sign that the plant is low on nutrients. This means the plants need watering at numerous times during a day for shorter periods. If you have an automatic irrigation system it is good to water early morning before the sun gets too hot, water again around lunchtime or early afternoon and finally in the late evening. The most efficient form of watering is called drip line where evaporation is kept to a minimum and there is no overspray or spray drift enabling the water to go directly where it is needed. Just be careful to not over water. Excess water washes the nutrients from the plant and can cause as much damage and not enough irrigation.
< Back to Candeo Blog
