Fertilisation and heat: what changes when the temperature does
Quick answer
A heat-stressed plant is managing survival, not growth, and feeding it adds a salt load at the moment it is least able to tolerate one. The dates of Kuwait's heat are published in advance, so preparation belongs in the months before it — not in the middle of it. What this page will not give you is a feeding calendar, because no Kuwait institutional source stating one was reachable.
The published climatic periods
| Period | Dates | Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| Summer begins | from 21 May | great increase in humidity and temperature |
| Dry Summer | 6 June – 19 July | 42–46°C |
| Wet Summer | 20 July – 4 November | 45–46°C |
| Highest recorded | 20 August 1998 | 51.3°C at Kuwait Airport |
| Winter begins | 6 December | Murba'ania: max 13°C falling to 3.3°C |
| Mild Winter | 16 January – 15 February | sometimes below zero; −4°C on 20 January 1964 |
The practical value of this table is that nothing here is a surprise. May is the month for installing shade and inspecting the irrigation network. December is when protection for cold-sensitive plants goes on. Not July, and not January.
Why heat changes feeding
- Water demand rises exactly when salt concentration around roots is most dangerous.
- Transformation is faster. FAO notes all common nitrogen fertilizers act relatively quickly because of the high transformation capacity of these warm soils.
- Ammonia loss increases from surface-applied urea on alkaline soil.
- Foliar spraying is riskier — FAO requires dilute solutions to avoid osmotic damage, and heat compounds that risk.
- An irrigation failure is less recoverable. A two-day fault at 45°C may not be survivable.
Dust, wind and the irrigation network
Al-Sarayat season from 9 April brings severe dust storms; summer dust peaks fall on 9–12 and 17–24 June and 1–7 and 9–17 July. FAO notes sediments may clog drip or sprinkler systems. Filters should be checked after storms — and the whole network before summer rather than during it.
Wind matters too: thunderstorms average 65 km/hour, Al-Suhily winds run 15 March to 10 April, and Dry Summer is dominated by the hot Semoom winds.
Common mistakes
- Feeding through peak heat on a fixed schedule.
- Applying fertiliser and then allowing an irrigation interruption.
- Spraying foliar feeds in the hottest part of the day.
- Inspecting the irrigation network in July instead of May.
- Treating heat-stress symptoms as nutrient deficiency.
No feeding calendar is given here — and why
A month-by-month fertiliser schedule for Kuwait would need an institutional local source. PAAF was unreachable on both hosts and KISR publishes no extension guidance, so no such source was available to us. Feeding timing depends on the plant, its growth stage, your soil analysis and the product label. We state the climate, which is published and verifiable, and stop there.
Related glossary terms
Sources
- Kuwait Meteorological Department — Climate. met.gov.kw
- FAO — Fertilizer and Plant Nutrition Bulletin 16, Chapters 3 and 4.
- FAO — Irrigation Water Management Training Manual No. 5.
All accessed 26 August 2026. Last reviewed: 27 August 2026.