Ken is exactly right.......and these dry spells happen...and have happened, essentially forever. I happen to be in "rain-bragging" mode so far this summer, but I've sure seen my share of drought. So mostly, it's "take two deep breaths and call me in the morning" time, whatever the heck that means. It means, relax....almost everything will pull through!

This is latest drought monitor update.

http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home/RegionalDroughtMonitor.aspx?northeast

There was some local rain around here a few times recently (coastal NJ) and things don't look so bad, I don't water my grass..., ever. If it does not rain, the grass will go semi-dormant and come back when the rains return. Shrubs or trees that have been planted within the last year or so, will have to get supplemental watering, also make sure they are well-mulched, and don't feed.

Rain does definitely seem reluctant this year though and still have a deficit of maybe 5-6 inches.

Yeah ilovemy...your state is almost covered in at least Abnormally Dry, which is no fun. I've watered a lot of stuff this year, but almost exclusively annuals plantings at work. Those, you pretty much have to water to expect any success, especially above-ground planters and such. But that's true almost any year, regardless how wet or dry. But in most dry spells.......and most plants.....things make it through. OF course, when you're in the middle of said dry spell, you don't know when or if things will get better, which only adds to the anguish.

So far OK in Maryland. We were a bit dry in March and April, but May was wet and June around normal. So far in July we've had about 1.3" of rain and are on-track with more forecast stormy days this week. However this is a time of year we can turn dry quickly, especially when drought is knocking on our door (PA is dry to our north).

Non-irrigated fescue lawns here look good, but KBG lawns are spotty (typical even w/normal rain due to heat). My patches of Zoysia look good, too.

My wife, kids, and I were up in Massachusetts this past week. It is DRY up there. Lawns are straw-like, and the area we stayed in (near Lowell) is in Severe Drought category on the map above.

Maybe New England can luck out with a weak tropical storm (that is a good rain-producer) that heads up the coast on the early side of the hurricane season.

Time for a transatlantic pipeline perhaps? You're welcome to some of ours. Constantly showery and cool here. Barely a single day this 'summer' with a temperature even in the upper 60s and almost daily rain. But my goodness is it green. I met some visitors for California who said they had been dazzled by the green for the first few days of their stay here.

Some places in NW Wisconsin received over ten inches of rain since yesterday aft. We're not in that zone here on the east side of the state-just regular thunder showers here this morning-but man, that's just a lot of rain. I know the area where this occurred and it's nearly all forest, so will soak it up without complaint.