Common Sense Drought Information for 2025
Spring is just around the corner, and we must understand how to interpret weather, our soil, and our plants.
The Eastern Shore Maryland is in horticultural zone 7b-8a, meaning the average lowest temperature during the winter will fall between 5 and 15 degrees. This is an average.
Rainfall per week for good plant growth and health should be one inch weekly at a rate that will soak into the soil. If it falls too fast, it runs off.
Have we had a measurable inch of rain weekly over the winter? NO. What plants are still conducting all winter long? EVERGREENS. For them to survive, they must have water during the winter months, especially if they are already dry going into winter. 
We have customers coming in saying their evergreens are turning brown. When we tell them they are dying, customers want to go out and water, but it is too late. You need to check on the health of your plants throughout the entire year. Winter winds are exacerbating the drought, and this year sure has been windy.
So, how far behind are we in rainfall? According to NOAA, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot counties are all in severe drought. In fact, 90% of Maryland is suffering from drought. This is the driest January on record since 1865. What will break this drought? Multiple rains that soak into the soil. The amount depends on soil type and actual drought conditions.
The state average in a good year is 43.6 inches of rain. Current rainfall totals 31.50 inches. That is about a 1.2-inch deficit per month.
Many are eager to get a start on their early crops, and we want you to know we will have potatoes in mid-March, as long as they can dig them in Maine, which is also in a drought.
Do not till your ground if it is extremely dry, as it will pack down tightly, making it hard for plants to emerge.
We hope the weather pattern changes so that we see more rain. Until then, water your existing plants deeply to keep them viable.
