On August 4, 2009, 1.27 inches of rain fell in my Cheviot 0.9 SSE rain gauge, culminating a five week period with nearly seven inches of rain. In the 30 days since August 4, only 0.39 inches has fallen in the same rain gauge. This compares to 0.35 inches during August of 2007. While these 30 day rainfall totals are nearly identical, August 2007 fell in the middle of a seven month drought so soils were parched at the beginning of that period. Also, August 2007 was the hottest August on record while August 2009 was cool. Still, conditions are quite dry right now, and little rain is forecast until next week. It is very important to water correctly right now, especially new trees, shrubs, and transplants, but older trees need a drink too. Many older trees are quite stressed with the cumulative effects of the past few years and this will not help.