What to plant in February in United Arab Emirates
19 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in February in United Arab Emirates, for the climate around Dubai and the central UAE coast (about 25°N, 55°E).
Climate: Hot desert climate with mild winters (coldest nights about 12–17°C), scorching summers (up to 47°C, nights above 25°C from May to October), and very little rain, mostly in March and December.
Vegetables
Cucumber Cucumis sativus
Fast-growing and productive in the warm autumn and winter, with irrigation covering the dry air.
Harvest: 50–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Zucchini Cucurbita pepo
Vigorous and prolific in the mild season, yielding well with regular watering and compost.
Harvest: 45–55 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Okra Abelmoschus esculentus
Tolerates the rising heat of late spring and produces pods through the summer.
Harvest: 55–65 daysEasyIn pots
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Sown in cool weather, it grows quickly and needs shade and steady water to avoid bolting.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Spinach Spinacia oleracea
A cool-season leafy crop that suits the mild winter nights and fills a shaded bed quickly.
Harvest: 40–50 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Carrot Daucus carota
Winter sowing in loose, sandy-loam bed or deep pot gives sweet roots during the mild season.
Harvest: 70–80 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Radish Raphanus sativus
Very quick from seed, it gives crisp roots before the heat arrives.
Harvest: 25–35 daysEasyIn pots
Cowpea Vigna unguiculata
A heat-tolerant legume that fixes nitrogen and gives pods in the hot season.
Harvest: 60–75 daysEasyIn pots
Fruits
Date palm Phoenix dactylifera
Native to this heat and dry climate, it needs full sun and deep watering, and fruits in summer.
Harvest: 4–6 yearsModerate
Common fig Ficus carica
Drought-tolerant and winter-hardy enough for these cool nights, and it fruits well in the summer heat.
Harvest: 2–3 yearsEasyIn potsCare guide →
Pomegranate Punica granatum
Tolerates heat and drought and needs only mild winter chill, producing bright fruit in late summer.
Harvest: 2–3 yearsEasyIn pots
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
Loves the heat and sun, and it ripens fully in the warm spring and early summer.
Harvest: 80–100 daysEasy
Muskmelon Cucumis melo
Sweet melons ripen in the heat of spring when grown with drip irrigation.
Harvest: 80–100 daysModerate
Grapevine Vitis vinifera
Mediterranean-type grape that needs a mild winter and tolerates heat, with irrigation and shade for ripening.
Harvest: 2–3 yearsModerateIn potsCare guide →
Herbs
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
A cool-season herb that grows well in pots and needs regular watering.
Harvest: 60–75 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Grows fast in warm spring and autumn, and partial shade protects it from peak summer sun.
Harvest: 30–40 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Spearmint Mentha spicata
Vigorous and cheap to propagate, it does well in pots kept shaded and watered.
Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
A cool-season herb that bolts quickly in heat, so it is best sown in the mild months.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Dill Anethum graveolens
Fast-growing in mild weather, providing fresh fronds for the kitchen through winter.
Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn pots