Yes, the title of this column is accurate. All of coastal Virginia was designated in Moderate Drought Conditions (D1) as of October 29, 2024 on the U.S. Drought Monitor, produced at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in partnership with the USDA and NOAA (drought monitor.unl.edu). Go to drought.gov/states/virginia for more localized information on drought conditions in our region.
We didn’t have enough rain on the Middle Peninsula in October to keep our plants and trees hydrated, but we enjoyed beautiful, clear, sunny days with pleasant temperatures and low humidity.
Virginia is considered “water rich” with more than 40 inches of precipitation annually, but Mother Nature hasn’t favored us over the last few months with sufficient rain to keep field crops like corn from burning up. Unfortunately, it is likely that drought conditions will continue through November.
Home gardeners, too, have faced the loss of some food crops, perennials, and young shrubs and trees. We are seeing early leaf...