How to Care for Ehretia in the UAE: Sun, Water, Soil and Feeding
By Muhammad Hamza · Published · Updated
Ehretia likes full sun, soil that drains well and regular watering. Our nursery waters twice a day in summer and once a day in winter. After delivery, plant in sweet soil, add fertilizer, and water well for two days, then go back to normal. Check the top 2 to 3 cm of soil before you water.
How much sun does Ehretia need?
Full sun. These are outdoor plants and our nursery grows them in the sun all year. Place them where they get direct light, and keep trees, walls and awnings from shading one side for long, because a shaded side thins out.
How often should I water?
Our nursery waters twice a day in summer and once a day in winter. That is a nursery routine for plants in pots in full sun. In your garden:
- Check the top 2 to 3 cm of soil. If it is dry, water. If it is still wet, wait.
- Water deeply so the water reaches the whole root ball.
- Plants in small pots dry faster than plants in the ground, so they need water more often.
- Water early in the morning or in the evening. UAE utility advice is to avoid watering between 8 am and 6 pm, and to keep water off the leaves where you can.
Yellow leaves are the most common question we get, and they usually come down to watering or drainage. Our guide to yellow, brown and falling leaves walks through the check.
What soil does Ehretia like?
Soil that drains well. Wet roots are the main way to lose an Ehretia. We recommend sweet soil, which means fresh, low-salt garden soil mixed with compost. Avoid heavy soil that holds water, and make sure every pot and planter has drainage holes.
What should I do in the first two weeks after delivery?
- Plant the Ehretia in sweet soil.
- Add fertilizer.
- Water well for the first two days.
- Then go back to normal watering.
Keep the plant in full sun and avoid moving it around after it is planted, because moving and changes in light are a common reason for leaf drop.
How and when should I feed it?
We use fertilizer and sweet soil. Compost is a gentle option: in a Philippine trial on the same species, compost improved height, branching and root growth, while urea on its own caused about 25 percent of the plants to die. So do not overdose. Follow the label, and water before and after feeding.
How often should I trim?
A light trim once a week keeps a shaped plant tight and full. Trim a little and often rather than a lot at once. Use clean, sharp tools, because large cuts on Ehretia do not heal well and fresh wounds can let in fungus.
Any tips for the UAE summer?
- Water early or late in the day and check the soil more often in the hottest months.
- Spread 5 to 10 cm of mulch over bare soil and keep it off the stem. UAE gardening guides commonly give this advice.
- In pots, avoid placing the pot straight on hot concrete.
- In our experience, plants in customers' gardens have stayed lush and thriving through the UAE summer.
What about pests?
Spider mites are the main pest. Ehretia is also sensitive to many sprays, so treat it gently. Read our guide to Ehretia pests and spider mites before you spray.
Ready to order? See the Ehretia ball, cone and the other shapes, or ask for a quote.
Ehretia Ball, 40 to 120 cm
An Ehretia ball is an Ehretia microphylla plant clipped into a dense, even sphere and grown in a pot. We supply five sizes, from 40 to 120 cm including the pot, to landscapers, designers, nurseries and homes across the UAE. Delivery takes 2 to 3 days.