Gardening: prepare for the trials of summer

The heat is well on the way. But all is not lost in my garden just yet.

Composting. iStockphoto.com

The post-spring holiday haze is finally lifting, but only to days that are increasingly and almost unbearably hot. Summer is well on the way.

But all is not lost in my garden just yet. There are still a few ­tomatoes and aubergines left on plants, though new growth is non-existent now and the last of the fruit is smaller, reflecting the plant’s own nutritional status and struggle with the elements.

I have dill that went crazy while I was away for two weeks and rocket that’s too mature for ­salads but has been happily making its way into our blender for smoothies.

So what happens now? Well, there’s certainly work to be done in the garden, tasks that some might find dull but need to be handled before the heat becomes intolerable. For those who garden in containers, the challenges may be of a slightly different nature. One of them has to do with used compost.

There are a few things to consider. First, even if I were to decide to throw away old compost, I can’t simply chuck it over the terrace wall onto community plant beds. Second, I have far too many pots to even ponder the task. Lastly, I don’t have enough money to buy sufficient new compost for the next growing season.

Old compost isn’t all bad news. While it’s true that a lot of the nutrients would have been used up by your plants, it can still be used and amended for the next season. Salad leaves and other greens such as rocket, kale and Swiss chard, as well as herbs, grow reasonably well in used compost. For other more ­demanding plants, old compost will need attention in two areas: structure and nutrients.

Over the summer months, compost in containers tends to become compacted, the layers collapsing into a hard and dry mass. The aerated structure of the soil that’s so important to allow plant roots to grow and breathe, and for nutrients to flow around successfully, disappears. After wetting the compost thoroughly, add a few handfuls of perlite or vermiculite, both naturally derived from volcanic rock, and easily and cheaply available in the UAE. This ­reintroduces air pockets.

Adding back nutrients can also help improve soil structure. My Bokashi compost is usually crawling with earthworms, the best movers and shakers you can ask for in your soil. (A wormery is definitely on my garden wish list, but I’m still a little squeamish about the idea.)

For the most nutrient-dense natural fertiliser, use vermicompost, rightly called a gardener’s black gold by proponents. ­Manure, chicken pellets and fish fertilisers are also firm favourites for naturally reinvigorating old compost.

In a few weeks, I plan to cut spent seasonal and vegetable plants and compost them. It’s time to say goodbye to petunia, sweet alyssum and gazania, and tomatoes and salad greens. For plants that stay on the terrace throughout the year, smaller perennials such as the bougainvillaea, Chinese ixora, hibiscus, jasmine, lantana and oleander, as well as curry leaf and hopefully local fragrant basil, some regrouping is in order so that they’re in maximum shade, creating a cooler microclimate to survive the hot months.

There’s still growth and beauty to be found in the summer. Where I live in Dubai, the Indian laburnum or golden shower tree is in full bloom. The trees around the lake are quite a sight, laden with pendulous clusters of yellow flowers.

For me, there’s always the joy of engaging with fresh produce in the kitchen. I’ve decided for the last of the tomatoes and aubergines, it’s time to blow the dust off my terracotta tagine, bought in the alleys of Fes. And for the dill, there will be a broad bean and dill pilau next weekend.

Shumaila Ahmed is a Dubai-based gardener, teacher, researcher and writer.