FLORIDA WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending October 5, 1997 Released 4:00 P.M. October 6, 1997 WEATHER SUMMARY: Drier weather over most of the Peninsula during the week of September 28 through October 4 helped fields dry out from the previous week's heavy rains. Official totals showed the weekly precipitation accumulations ranging from none to about a half inch except for the three plus inches recorded at Miami. Unofficially, about two and a half inches fell south of Homestead and about three and a half in northern parts of Dade County. Palmetto-Ruskin unofficially reported only trace amounts of rain for the week. Some central areas received scattered, heavy rains on Sunday, October 5. Temperatures averaged mostly normal to three degrees above. Highs were mostly in the mid to upper 80s while lows averaged in the 60s and 70s. The 1997 rainy season in south Florida ended on Friday, October 3, two weeks before its normal ending date of October 17. The rainy season began this year on May 17 and lasted for 139 days. This compares to the average rainy season duration of 152 days, based on data since 1956. The early end to the rainy season is characteristic of years with a strong El Nino event. The earliest end to a rainy season was on September 24, 1983, during the strongest El Nino during this century. The rainy season in south Florida is considered to be over when the average daily dew point temperature, a measure of the humidity, falls below 70 degrees. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly short to adequate in the Panhandle and northern Peninsula with scattered areas of very short moisture. Central and southern Peninsula moisture is mostly adequate with scattered areas of short or surplus moisture. Peanut condition: very poor 0%, poor 6%, fair 64%, good 29%, excellent 1%. Seventy-eight percent of the peanut acreage for nuts has been harvested. The dry weather has been excellent for the hay harvest, but poor for forage growth. Growers are starting to defoliate cotton in the Panhandle. Soybean harvest has started. Sugarcane growth is normal. Tobacco markets are scheduled to close next week. Pecans are starting to fall. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 11 1 6 3 Short 40 13 31 17 Adequate 49 76 63 59 Surplus 0 10 0 21 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Grass growth is slowing seasonally in the north and central areas. Ranchers in the northern counties were preparing to plant small grains for winter pasture. Recent rains reduced the severity of the drought, but pastures were still dry and pond levels were low. In areas where pastures were most hurt by the prolonged dry spell of last month, cattle have lost weight. Many pastures in the southeast area have standing water from last week's rain. The heavy rain (10+ inches in some areas) filled some ponds that had been empty for awhile. The fall calving season is going strong. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 0 0 0 Poor 10 10 5 0 Fair 35 50 35 35 Good 45 35 55 60 Excellent 5 5 5 5 CITRUS: Florida's citrus groves, trees and new crop fruit are all in very good to excellent condition. There were very few rains this week. Some growers of fresh fruit on well-drained land have resumed irrigating. New foliage is generally limited to well-cared- for young tree groves. There are a large number of early bloom early fruit that are showing good on tree color break. Several fresh fruit packing houses are shipping varying quantities of Navels, Hamlins and Ambersweet oranges, Fallglo and Robinson tangerines, Satsumas, K-Earlys and white and colored grapefruit. There are still only a few processors open to receive packing house eliminations. Some of the packing house eliminations have been destroyed in the pastures as the fruit was not wanted by the processors. Caretakers are cutting cover crops prior to harvesting and most other grove care. Few fall pesticides are still being applied. Some young trees are being fertilized. A few growers are replanting new trees where they have pushed the dead trees out. VEGETABLES: Growers replanted some acreage damaged by the recent heavy rains with some watermelons plowed under in the Palmetto-Ruskin area. Sweet corn, radish, and pickle harvesting is underway in the Zellwood area. Cutting of a limited eggplant acreage is underway in the Palmetto-Ruskin region. Squash harvesting has started in the Southwest. SNAP BEANS: North--Harvesting getting underway. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Oldest plants are blooming. Germination of recent seedings remains good. Planting is slow but steady. Dade--The crop remains in good condition. The warm, wet weather is boosting plant growth and bean development. Planting is increasing rapidly. Everglades--The recent heavy rainfall set back growth of young plants with recovery expected. West Central--The crop is in poor to fair condition. Planting is active with some growers replanting acreage affected by the recent heavy rains. Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Planting remains steady. Some beds were washed down by the recent heavy rains but plants were not damaged. CABBAGE: West Central--Planting gaining. Crop condition is poor to fair because of the excessive rain last week. Some of the crop was replanted due to the heavy rains last week. Central, Hastings--Planting active. CARROTS: Zellwood--Crop condition is rated good with no lingering damage from the recent heavy rains. Planting continues. Harvest is scheduled to start in early December. SWEET CORN: North--Picking continued. Zellwood--Light harvesting is underway with activity to increase in about two weeks. Quality was poor to fair for the early pick with good quality expected for the remaining crop. The three inches of rain that recently fell over the area benefited plant growth and ear development with growers now back to irrigating. Everglades-- The recent heavy rainfall delayed maturation slightly. First picks are expected to begin in about two weeks. East Coast--Recent plantings are germinating well. Planting of a limited acreage is active. Workers continue ground preparations for winter crop planting. Dade--Planting will get underway in late October. Some corn to be harvested for seed, planted earlier, is in good condition. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting remains steady. CUCUMBERS: West Central--Crop condition is fair with a limited acreage damaged by the recent heavy rains. Planting is mostly steady with some growers finished. Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Growers are continuing planting at a steady pace. East Coast--Plant growth is good. Germination of recent seedings remains good. Thinning is becoming more active. Zellwood--Harvesting of pickles is underway. Yield and quality are good. Dade--Pickle condition remains good. The recent rains boosted plant growth with the oldest fields starting to put on runners. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good with fruit gaining size in the oldest fields. Plant growth is good. Transplanting is active. Workers are staking, tying, and irrigating recent plantings. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting of a limited acreage is steady. Dade---Plant growth is good. Planting of larger fields is expected to start within the next five days. West Central--The crop is in fair condition. Cutting of a limited fall acreage is underway. Quality is fair with small and medium sizes available. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Zellwood--Planting remains active with harvesting to start in about two weeks. Everglades--Planting continues with harvesting reportedly to begin in late October. LETTUCE: Zellwood--Planting continues with harvest to start in about two weeks. Everglades--Planting is active with the recent heavy rains delaying some fieldwork. Harvest is expected to begin in late October or early November. OKRA: Dade--The winter crop is in good condition. Harvest of the summer/fall crop is slowing with some growers finished. Quality is good. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is good. Planting remains steady. West Central--The crop is in fair condition with some acreage sustaining damage from the recent heavy rains. Planting is complete. East Coast--Both Bell and specialty varieties are in mostly good condition with most plants growing well. Transplanting continues. Other field work: drenching of young transplants with water, spraying, laying of plastic, staking, and tying. RADISHES: Zellwood--Planting continues. Digging is underway with activity to increase over the next seven to ten days. Everglades--Planting remains active. The recent heavy rains delayed the start of harvest slightly with harvesting expected to get underway in about two weeks. SQUASH: West Central--The crop is in fair condition. Planting is winding down. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting is steady. Harvesting is underway with good quality and yield. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Picking of a light volume of zucchini and yellow types continues with good quality and fancy and medium sizes available. Growers are mowing acreage completely picked. Dade--The limited acreage already planted is in good condition. Planting of larger fields will begin in about two weeks. Zellwood--Harvest of acorn acreage is finished with the hot fall temperatures reducing yield. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Transplanting is active. Palmetto-Ruskin--Transplanting will start within the next five to ten days. TOMATOES: Quincy--Harvesting is in full swing. Volume and quality are good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated poor to fair with some acreage in good condition. Plant growth is fair. Fruit setting is slow. Fruit sizing is fair. A few growers reset some blocks that were damaged by the recent heavy rains. Picking of a small acreage may start within the next seven to ten days. South- west--Crop condition is fair to good. Fruit set is light. Fruit sizing is good. Planting is steady. Harvest will start in about four weeks. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Oldest plants are nearing the top of stakes. Fruit set and sizing of the crown crop is fair to good. Transplanting continues. Dade--Crop condition is good. Transplanting is increasing. Some blocks were reset due to damage from the recent heavy rains. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair with some damage reported caused by the recent heavy rains. Picking is expected to begin soon. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting of a limited acreage is steady. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting is steady. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Fruit is setting. Some acreage was damaged by the recent heavy rains. Picking is expected to start soon. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is poor to fair. Growers plowed under some acreage damaged by the recent heavy rains. Cutting is expected to begin soon. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting is finished.