{"id":25555,"date":"2023-09-29T16:19:16","date_gmt":"2023-09-29T20:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/?p=25555"},"modified":"2026-04-17T14:41:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T18:41:03","slug":"drought-spreading-throughout-much-of-the-midwest-purdue-landscape-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.purdue.edu\/fnr\/extension\/drought-spreading-throughout-much-of-the-midwest-purdue-landscape-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Drought Spreading Throughout Much of the Midwest-Purdue Landscape Report"},"content":{"rendered":"

Purdue Landscape Report:<\/a> Many areas around the Midwest continue to creep towards an increasing drought situation.\u00a0 Currently almost 80% of the Midwest is listed as being abnormally dry to exceptional drought.\u00a0 Current soil moisture data indicates that most of the Midwest is very dry.\u00a0 Going into the fall it\u2019s very important to supply enough supplemental water (irrigation) to make up for the deficit prior to the landscape plants going dormant over the next six to eight weeks.<\/p>\n

\"Map<\/a>

Figure 1. The progression of drought conditions have increased over the last two months in the Midwest.\u00a0 U.S. Drought Monitor<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

The fall is a very important time to limit stressors on landscape plants.\u00a0 A stressed plant doesn\u2019t produce as many secondary metabolites which aide in increased cold hardiness; so keeping your landscape plants irrigated during dry periods in late summer into fall is an important component of preparing plants for winter.<\/p>\n

Remember some key steps concerning your landscape during extreme dry periods:<\/p>\n