What is the best time of year to plant trees and shrubs in the UAE?
October to March is the best time to plant trees, hedges and ground cover in the UAE. Planting in the cool season gives roots two growth flushes before the first Gulf summer, which roughly halves establishment time compared with a May or June planting.
A plant put in the ground in June spends its first three months surviving rather than rooting, and needs water every two days to do even that. The same plant put in in November roots through a mild winter and spring, and meets its first summer with a root system that can actually supply the canopy.
If you must plant in summer, three things make it survivable: plant at dusk rather than in the morning, shade the plant for its first fortnight, and water deeply every second day rather than lightly every day. Expect slower establishment regardless.
This is why our outdoor range — flowering trees, hedging and ground cover — is stocked hardest from September onward. It is the front edge of the UAE planting season, not a coincidence of supply.