It must be nice to live where there's consistent rainfall. It's been well over a year since we've had a rainfall over 1/2", with the year's total at about 1-3/4". Irrigation is the first thing we have to do when planning a garden or orchard.

Frank:

Every time I start to feel a little sorry for myself during a 4-6 week summer "drought" here, I have to ask: Drought? Compared to what? Then I think of our colleagues in S. California, the Southwestern states, and even Eastern Washington and Oregon, and realize how lucky I am. At least I have a shot at thunderstorms nearly every week, and tomorrow looks very promising with a cool front. When it comes, I can easily get over an inch.

I have done a little watering on the younger trees, but not the mature specimens. They have to fend for themselves. The fruit keeps growing, and no drying leaves yet.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Applenut...

We average over 4 inches of rain here in the month of August alone. Summer is when we get most of our precip. Winter is actually the driest time of year and what does fall, if the ground is frozen which it is for a few months, everything that melts just runs into the rivers. Irrigation is very uncommon here. All the corn/soybeans that are grown in the area depend on rainfall. I think i did see a potato field that had irrigation once.

I'm going to finish watering up the rest of the fruit trees today. Looks like dewpoints are suppose to drop into the 40's (dry for this time of year) and then climb next week with high temps going back into the low-mid 90's.

Parts of Iowa over the past few days have received near or maybe more then 15 inches of rain... Now thats too much!

In north Georgia, we've received only half the 35 inches of annual rain we traditionally get. I have been pumping water up from my old spring pump home water system to irrigate my orchard. I lost most of my crop this year with the Easter freeze but protected my Cox O. Pippin and have e full tree of them so I have concentrated my irrigation efforts on it and the Spitzenberg. I noticed that my G. Delish's leaves are yellowing and dropping off. Drought stress? That's my guess. Only my Montmerency's are mulched. I hope to get all other's mulched by next year. I think we're in for dryer years ahead.
Herbert

That would suck. I'm getting all bent out of shape over this! and you guys aren't getting anything, for months! Actually, since Jan 1, we are only 1/2 inch below normal (whats normal anyways???). I always ask that, because records here only go back to the late 1800's. If you want a real since of "normal" , you've got to go back to at least the time of Christ. Sorry for going off topic!

It seems the leaves that are yellowing on the apples are the smallest leaves (newest?) and are just slowing losing the green and then falling. I watered really well yesterday, so i'll watch for any response. My trees have put on VERY LITTLE growth in the past two months. They are only 2 year old trees, so i'm guessing underground is where the growth is happening, since everything else looks healthy.

Probably your two weeks without rain hurts your garden more than west coast rainless summers hurt us. We are adapted to it. Native vegetation here doesn't need summer rain; it goes dormant. Some is even harmed by summer water. For the food plants we grow we put in irrigation for the most part, though I don't irrigate my orange and kumquat trees and still get more fruit than we can possibly eat.

As for droughts, there have always been cycles of rainy years and dry years. Some of the changes we get alarmed about are well within normal variation. It may be that climate is changing. I don't deny the possibility. No one knows yet how that will turn out. I understand that some regions may actually end up getting more rainfall.

In any case, good luck with your orchard. One slow, deep watering may be what you need. Can you get to your trees with a hose? I wish you the blessings of a nice rain shower.

Rosefolly

We have had almost no rain in over 14 WEEKS! Probably well over 20 inches below normal now. I think all our rain got stuck out in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. It has not had any impact on fruit production, though, as there is no fruit this year due to the Easter freeze. I anticipate a plaque of locusts any day now. Fortunately, there will be nothing for them to eat.

To the Jellyman
Hi, Don,
Yes, we are in a drought in the Las Vegas area (only 1/3 inch so far for the year) But we are used to it. We only get a few inches for the whole year. I hand water every other day. In hand watering, I can watch to see if a problem is starting with one of my trees or vines. This especially works for all my grape vines. I fight a leafhopper infestation at this time every year.
John

I can easily get to a hose. I've only got 10 fruit trees as of now (more next year).

My apple trees are the ones that haven't put on much growth lately, although i think thats normal...everything else (especially the peaches) have grown a lot.

Kiwinut.
I still remember that freeze you guys had. Hopefully its a 100yr thing or more and never happens again. Up here we usually have enough snowcover/frozen soil to retard early growth (budding/flowering). We had a 25inch snowfall in late Feb that really helped protect the trees later on when we hit 80+ in March twice! Later we went down to 19F on April 7th.

I hope this drought is the 100 year+ variety too, lol. We did get a whopping 0.18 inches of rain last night, the most in a good while. That should give us at least 12-24 hours of relief.

~kiwinut

We have also had an incredibly dry summer, with only two major rain dumps since June started. The blueberries are very small this year due to the dryness; I did water them a couple times but not enough I expect. I think I am going to get out the big sprinklers soon and water my whole orchard - even the peach trees are looking a little unhappy now.

Scott