Excellent. Corn nearby is almost chest high already. I hope ideal growing conditions continue, but they often don't.

Good acorn crop developing on 8-10 yr old burr & swamp white oaks, and chestnut oak finally has a few. Second flushes already starting on the oaks.

The first week of Summer has been similar to previous years. The rest of this week is s'pose to be hot & muggy with temps in the '90s. No shortage of rainfall here. So far nights have cooled down to the 60s but that will soon change.
One negative, Japanese Beetles abundant on Sassafras & Linden. Their appearance comes in cycles. Whatever happened to that old idea that the grubs are killed by a cold winter?

Slightly above-average temps, quite humid. Rainfall keeping up - still well above normal for the year, but about on-track for summer so far.

Seems we get a decent rain about once a week, some weeks more than others but overall it's running about right. Should close out June at just over 4" of rain.

We had a very early and warm spring here, and may and first half of june was warm but maybe a little bit too dry. After that it turned over completely, the last two weeks has been colder than normal and rainy, and it seems it will go on for some time yet.

awesome here in northwestern IL. abundant rain, tall corn same as Beng is saying, couldn't ask for better.

Dax

Pretty good so far this summer in central Texas. Everything are thriving. Rather mild temperature compared to the past few years. Still could use plenty of rainfall to replenish lakes though.

Pretty good, we could use some rain now. Last forecasted storm and rain was a disappointment. If we don't get a good rain I'll be dragging a hose around each area of small new transplants. Those trees who have had years inground will be fine, though. I did use a jug to help the new transplants. My Newest Rhodedendrom Maximum will need the hose if we don't get torrential rain very soon. This is the wild Rhody you see in the mountains, they grow so slow I paid over $40.00 for one that is 2 ft tall. They have larger leaves than your run of the mill rhody, and get 15+ ft tall when older. They look almost tropical to me when they get some size to them. Well, anyway, all is good, some rain with this sun would make it wonderfull.

WET!!! I have lost 2 dogwoods, a viburnum, and a calycanthus to prolonged overstaturated soil. Temps have been exceedingly mild and nice until last Sunday. We had two days in the upper 90's with the heat index 100+ but now we are forecast to be back down in the 80's to low 90's on the 7 day. Even with the tree losses, no complaints here after the brutally hot and dry summers of 2011 and 2012!

We got off to a slow start, but everything has caught up. The Cities get the drenching rains and flooding, but we've been getting regular soakers with some fog. Nice to be outside - temps in the 60's and sometimes 70's. No humidity or mosquitoes to speak of. And no losses despite the brutal, record setting winter. No deer either - winter culled the herd. Temporary setback, I imagine but it's a pleasure to have nothing eaten.

Typical time for us but peonies are bursting forth, some scapes on daylilies, Siberian iris blooming, lilium lancifolium setting lots of buds; late planted annuals settled in and are coming into their own; hostas are huge.

And like the swallows returning to Capistrano, today started the first wave of dragon flies. Tomorrow they'll come in wave after wave after wave heading up north to the lakes and bogs. They're so beautiful - ruby red, emerald green, sapphire blue. A huge black one with the white banded wings perched on my shoe so I could study it without the wings ablur. Fabulous, love to see them arrive.

Poaky, I remember a weekend I spent in an old growth, R. maximum forest in rural, western NJ. It was December and there was torrential rainfall all weekend, but I loved walking under those trees. You're right, there is something very lush and tropical about them. You do not see them like that at low altitudes. Around me, they are all modest shrubs.

In just 2 weeks, 'Krieder' burr oak already has second flushes (12 inches & rapidly growing) exceeding the first flush. It is remarkably quick to take advantage of favorable conditions. It also puts out acorns every yr -- no off-yrs unless a late frost kills the flowers.

The Japanese beetles are the worst I've seen in the past 10 years or so. I've wondered if whatever birds that might eat them were killed off in greater number than usual by the cold winter.

Interesting, David. Others were saying the same, but haven't seen a single one here yet. One thing I have here that don't usually occur are mosquitos, prb'ly due to stagnant water in spots.

Njoasis, with time the Rhod Max, get big at low altitudes here in Pa. There is an area at the foot of the mtns. here that has many of them in peoples yards. I go and drive around this neighborhood 3-4 times a year, and covet these folks yards. Giant Rhod. max and tall oaks, stonework a bridge or 2 some stone on the house all shady and beautiful. Yes, some folks walking their dogs or in their yards look at me like, who the H*ll are you, and what do you want? But still I will go and covet their yards. I will eventually get the shade, and I have 2 Rhod. Maximum in my yard. All I need to do is go do the landscaping work. I think once there is more shade, I would be more interested in being in the yard. I can't take the heat. I have tried one of those cooling scarfs, they have bandanas and a tubular version. You wet them in cool water, and then flap them in the wind, so there are holes in the fabric and it keeps you cooler than a regular bandana. They help some when mowing the grass. They seem to work actually, but you may after a couple hours, have to flap them in the wind, kinda like a dirty carpet, flap them out a couple times then put back around your head or where-ever you want. I got mine at Lowes for around $20.00.

Njoasis, with time the Rhod Max, get big at low altitudes here in Pa. There is an area at the foot of the mtns. here that has many of them in peoples yards. I go and drive around this neighborhood 3-4 times a year, and covet these folks yards. Giant Rhod. max and tall oaks, stonework a bridge or 2 some stone on the house all shady and beautiful. Yes, some folks walking their dogs or in their yards look at me like, who the H*ll are you, and what do you want? But still I will go and covet their yards. I will eventually get the shade, and I have 2 Rhod. Maximum in my yard. All I need to do is go do the landscaping work. I think once there is more shade, I would be more interested in being in the yard. I can't take the heat. I have tried one of those cooling scarfs, they have bandanas and a tubular version. You wet them in cool water, and then flap them in the wind, so there are holes in the fabric and it keeps you cooler than a regular bandana. They help some when mowing the grass. They seem to work actually, but you may after a couple hours, have to flap them in the wind, kinda like a dirty carpet, flap them out a couple times then put back around your head or where-ever you want. I got mine at Lowes for around $20.00. I will try air layering for more Rhod. Max. When I get more shade. Another reason to love oaks, you can plant under most.

We're living in a terrarium. It puts me in mind of a temperate version of Hawaii or Florida's rainy season. Some precip about every day and then SUN. Warm nights and hot days......but not so hot growth shuts down........ and stuff is growing like Jack's beanstalk. Keeping fingers crossed for foliar diseases, and sure enough starting to see LEAF MOLD, caused by the fungus Fulvia fulva on my tomato crop. It would be hilarious if it weren't so maddening. This is typically a greenhouse issue, not an outdoor issue but like said....living in a terrarium. Never seen it on outdoor tomatoes before. I keep a fastidious vegetable garden since I garden my food crops without chemicals. But also seeing anthracnose on my grapes. I guess those I'll have to break down and spray next season before the fact after I prune the crap out of them this winter.

May was super dry (several measly rainfalls totaling just over 1") here as the showers where very scattered. Some areas within 10 min had above average rainfall.

June was spectacular with above average rainfall (just over 6"). First time that has happened in any given summer month since 2010 when my first daughter was born so I remember it vividly.

Some of the plants that showed some damage have been slow to put out solid growth.

Overall so far so good. Love that we've had more days in the 70s than 80s.

Just crossing my fingers for at least average moisture throughout summer and fall.

I've literally seen one Japanese beetle this year. Which is strange as they usually flock to my roses which have been blooming for a few weeks. WAY too cold this winter for many to have survived. There were 5 days between -15 and -20. In addition another 35+ days of sub zero temps.

This post was edited by whaas on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 22:40

"I've literally seen one Japanese beetle this year."

Same here. I just came on here to post about that too. I saw our first Japanese Beetle yesterday, but there was only one, instead of gobbs of them....

I hope it stays that way...

This post was edited by ilovemytrees on Mon, Jul 7, 14 at 10:39

I have to update -- found a few JBs on swamp white oak sprouts.

Maybe all the moles on my lot are eating the grubs....

Sorry for the weird double post above. I added some onto the first post, and it put both posts on here. Well, anyway. We finally got some good rain twice after my last post above. The last one, I went on the porch and watched most of it, it was lightening and thunder plus torrential rain. I love watching storms. If I were in tornado alley, I would feel a bit different likely. The thing I don't like about the rain is the weed growth that follows. I need to mulch, really badly. The mulch helps some, but the tree that I just put down about 8 bags underneath, Dawn Redwood, has a ton of weeds under it. I went around with my roundup today. I may use some erosion cloth in large areas. It is porous and keeps weeds away. I have some on a roll I ordered a couple years ago. I know mulch is better, but it is cheaper to use this stuff in the areas where weeds aren't wanted and there are no trees. Well, back on subject, trees are doing great, my dead Live oak "late drop" have come up from lower trunks and are about 8-12 inches so far. I will shut up about these live oaks now, I have mentioned them too much in the past.

I should be knocking wood, but I hadn't seen the first Japanese beetle until last week, and even then it was unearthed in my veggie garden, just reaching maturity. I've not found a grub one, either. My partner says he wonders how the multitude of moles are surviving. LOL.

The Japanese beetles here are worse than they've been in years previous.

Whaas-

I've squished about 5 Japanese Beetles so far this year. I had 45 days below 0F here...with a couple of -22F to -24F... so some survived. I'm on the west side of the state right next to the Mississippi River.

Been a good growing season here. We had a very warm June, about 7 inches of rain...been very humid. Next week looks almost chilly (60Fs for high temps). I'm seeing a ton of growth on many of my trees.

Starting to get dry here again,everything came to a screeching halt, including the grass which I was mowing every week. Actually enjoyed doing so too.

Per usual storms go north or south. Tonight forecasted to go south. We'll see....will buy me another week for having to water but just my recent plantings.

When its humid the 60s are actually very comfortable. Its low 70s right now. Humid and cloudy....just sweating bullets after working outside. Can't wait for that cool front to come through.

2.75 inches of rain this afternoon...over 10 inches the last month or so... thank god my soil is more or less beach sand.

Where are you that you got that?

I don't see anything like that anywhere in the lower half of the state.

The wannabe "polar vortex" of July is gonna bring a weird chill to the Midwest, while setting the stage for more rain in the East as the jet swings up the coast bringing with it, deep tropical moisture. Portions of the Northeast just had 6-8 inches (in a day) due to rains from Hurricane Arthur. Drought is not an issue this year, for sure. Hope this is not the new normal though!

That "polar vortex" last winter really was brutal. Lost a beautiful Japanese maple planted about 3 years ago, lost a Japanese Black pine planted 1 year ago, along with a few butterfly bushes. We also have many pine, juniper and spruce trees with heavy browsing damage by hungry deer.

So far this spring/summer it's been very wet, with above average rainfall. We've had storms coming through the area every few days. Our lawns are bright green and plants growing very well. Normally by July our lawns are turning brown from lack of water. Not this year.

TYG

I would love to have 6-8 inches anytime of the month with my sandy slope. Send it over here please and tag it as the normal.

Weather folks love to sensationalize weather. This is by no means a "polar vortex". Its not even off the normals by that much for most of the effected areaa. You can check a variety of forecasts and at most its going to be 15 degrees cooler for 1 day. That should happen multiple times within a given season.

There a few exceptions with Oklahoma City, OK for example where the normal is 95 and they will hit a high of 70 at some point next week. Bet those folks will actually be outside doing something that week.

Whaas-

I'm just north of La Crosse...I can see the MN bluffs from my front yard.

"...LA CROSSE COUNTY...
LA CROSSE AIRPORT 2.99 0700 AM 43.88N 91.26W
LA CROSSE NWS 1.50 0700 AM 43.80N 91.37W"

3 inches at the airport...

Another round of mowing coming up. I've never mowed this much in my life. Farmers growing hay are going to have a huge crop this year across this area.

Franktank: Yes I can related to that. We have been mowing twice a week with all of this rain. Lawns love lots of water and sunshine! Normally by now our grass would be going brown and we would only mow once every few weeks. The corn in our area is already at least 6 feet tall.

Whaas: I'll see if I can route some of this water your way. We've had enough for a while here.

Last winter was much colder here in Zone 5 (Mi) than it has been in recent years, plus we had much more snow. I was using the snowblower every 3 days or so, compared to the last few years where I used it about 3 or 4 times each season. Snow drifts were much taller than normal as well. We had numerous days where the low temps were -10 to -15F and the ground was completely frozen several feet below the surface. While this may not have been a "polar vortex" or whatever that is called, it was a much tougher winter than we've had in about a decade.

TYG

So there is really something coming called a polar vortex this summer? I know it won't be freezing, but, It will be cooler? Joein Mo mentioned that, I thought he was BS ing me. I welcome more rain and a cool-off, it's been hot here and humid. We are getting some good rain, but I welcome it, except for them darn weeds.

I thought it was going to be a 'normal' season (for a change), but felt kind of "off". There were no big heat waves (so far), almost NO thunderstorms, wild swings of precipitation (13 plus inches in one day in Central, LI, most of which fell in only a few hours), now getting drier and warmer.

Yes, Poaky weeds are bad this year. I refrain from using Roundup and other chemicals so it is hand pulling or my new weeding tool (so no bending). Poison ivy is the exception, I use Roundup on it was I am NOW sensitive to it, but see it popping up all over...big time under my Metasequoia. I HATE those weed fabrics! Used to use them all over but, weeds grow through the thickest ones anyway. My Pin Oak is starting to shed some leaves, so Fall is in the air, I guess. We could use a protracted rain event...not the 10 inches in two hours kind!

Enjoy the last (unofficial) week of Summer all.

This post was edited by njoasis on Sun, Aug 24, 14 at 6:55

Summer is going out with a bang apparently. Humidity has been 70 to 90% the last couple days. Station says 92% right now....straight up tropical.

This was the best summer in a long long time. 70s and 80s with decent moisture. What a reprieve from that nasty winter.

We not enter my favorite season of the year!

Fall here actually offers the best weather of the year...sunny and dry...
unless there is some tropical threat from the ocean.

The lawns are green here. Got a little brownish the last 2 weeks of July, but are lush again. We've had only a couple rain events but they were substantial the last couple weeks.

Nearby at BWI airport (the nearest "official" NWS station) we haven't hit 90 once this August.

Highest temp so far this summer -- 89F.

Missed alot of rain in August, but because it's cool & often cloudy, no real dryness yet. 45F two mornings in a row a week or two ago.

Strange summer in sweden this year. First a very early and warm spring, after that a very cold june. July was extremely hot and dry and august has been rainy almost every day with floods and thunder storms. It's all or nothing this year. But at least no frost in the forecast, there might be night frost in late august some years but not below 48F this year. And the dry and warm weather seem to come back next week. An allright growing season after all.