fl-crop-weather Week ending April 26, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. April 27, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Mostly dry conditions prevailed during the week of April 19 through 25. Daytona Beach and Miami reported no measurable rain for the week. Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Valparaiso recorded about one tenth or less weekly precipitation. West Palm Beach reported about a third inch of rain accumulating during the week with unofficial reports of about one to two inches falling mid-week in the East Coast area. A cold front passing over the Peninsula about mid-week dropped temperatures to below normal levels with temperatures at the major stations averaging mostly one to three degrees below normal for the week. Daytime high temperatures averaged in the 70s and 80s while nighttime lows averaged in the 50s in northern areas, the 50s and 60s in central localities, and in the 60s in most southern areas. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the Panhandle is mostly adequate. Topsoil moisture on the Peninsula is short to adequate with scattered areas of very short moisture. The wheat crop looks good at this time. Dry soil has been delaying peanut planting. Nine percent of the peanuts are planted. Growers are just starting to plant cotton. Most growers are waiting until temperatures warm up at night. Sugarcane growth is normal. Field preparations for spring planted crops are active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 13 3 9 3 Short 49 44 9 11 Adequate 38 53 63 85 Surplus 0 0 19 1 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The pasture condition was poor to good with most pastures needing rain. Ranchers in the west central area were cutting pastures, fertilizing, and planting seed. Grass growth in the pastures in the central Peninsula area have slowed due to cool, dry weather. Pastures in the southwest were greening up. The cattle were mostly in fair to good condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 5 0 5 Poor 15 10 15 5 Fair 45 35 50 40 Good 35 50 35 50 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: This was a typical spring week. Monday and Tuesday were warm with rain and scattered showers in some areas, followed by dry, cool and windy weather. Many growers were irrigating by the week's end to maintain good tree condition during this all important fruit setting period. A few caretakers have reported some post bloom blight most of which is showing in Navels and Valencias. Other types also have varying degrees of accelerated new fruit loss. Most well-cared-for groves have an abundance of new growth on trees of all ages. Harvest of Valencia oranges for processing and some fresh use is very active in all areas. Most Valencia oranges are now at their peak levels. Grapefruit movement continues active for both fresh and process ing. Temple harvest is over for the season while Honey tangerines movement is slowing as supplies are limited. Caretakers are cutting cover crops and herbiciding the spring weed growth. Post bloom nutritional spraying continues in all areas. Young tree fertilization is active. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Apr 12 Apr 19 Apr 26 Valencia oranges 7,503,000 8,241,000 7,975,000 All grapefruit 2,131,000 2,008,000 1,610,000 Honey tangerines 77,000 49,000 29,000 Temples 3,000 1,000 2,000 VEGETABLES: Palmetto-Ruskin growers started picking squash, cherry tomatoes, and plum tomatoes. Watermelon harvesting is underway around Immokalee. Tomato picking is nearing the end in Dade County. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans, blueberries, cabbage, carrots, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, strawberries, and tomatoes. SNAP BEANS: Everglades--Harvesting is very active with volume near peak levels. Quality is excellent. Dade--Young fields are in very good condition with producers irrigating about two times per week. Picking continues with good yield and quality being realized. Volume is expected to decline slightly over the next seven to ten days. Southwest--The crop remains in fair to good condition. Harvesting of a steady volume is active. Quality is good. East Coast--Young acreage is improving with plants blooming and pin beans forming. Harvesting of a light volume continues. Quality and color remain good. West Central--Crop condition remains fair. Picking is expected to begin soon. Big Bend, Western Panhandle--Pole bean development is about two weeks behind usual due to replanting of acreage damaged by the early March freeze. Harvesting is expected to begin about mid-May. BLUEBERRIES: West Central, North--Harvesting of a light volume is active. CABBAGE: Dade--Harvest season is complete. West Central-- Crop condition is fair. Growth and development are slow to normal. Harvest is steady. Head quality and color are fair to good. Size is variable. Yield and volume are improving. Central, Hastings--Harvest is steady. Head quality is good. Head size is close to normal. Growth and development are normal. Harvest will last into June. CARROTS: Zellwood--Harvesting continues at a very active pace. Yield is improving. Quality is generally good. CELERY: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting continues. Yield is good. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Some plant growth and ear development is slow due to cool temperatures. Picking is active. Yield is mostly good. Quality is generally good. A good volume remains available over the next four or five weeks. Southwest-- Crop condition is good. Harvesting of a steady volume is active. Quality is good. Dade--Volume is starting to decline as some growers finish picking. Yield and quality remain good. East Coast--Growers continue to pull some small blocks for local sales. Quality is good. Zellwood--The crop is in good condition with older plants silking. Growers plan to start harvesting about mid- May. CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Condition of young plants continues to improve. Recent seedings are germinating well. Hot, dry weather is stressing plants with some acreage irrigated. Picking continues to increase as more acreage reaches maturity. All sizes are available. Workers continue to thin and apply fertilizer to young fields Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvest ing of a steady volume is active. Quality is good. West Central-- Crop condition is rated fair. Harvesting of both wax type and pickles is gaining momentum. Quality and color are fair. Sizes are variable. Yield and volume are light. Dade--Harvesting of pickles is producing a heavy volume. Yield and quality are good. Zellwood--Picking is expected to start by early May. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. Cutting of a light volume continues. Quality is mostly good. Workers continue to clean fields completely harvested. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting of a steady volume continues. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Hot, windy conditions are affecting vine growth. Harvesting is slowing with good quality available. West Central-- Condition is rated fair. Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality remains fair with variable sizes available. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting continues. Quality and supplies are good. LETTUCE: Everglades, Zellwood--Harvesting of good supplies is active. OKRA: Dade--Plant growth and development are good. Harvest ing of a light volume is active. PEPPERS: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting of a steady volume is active. Quality is fair to good. West Central--The crop remains in fair condition. Harvesting is slowly gaining momentum. Quality is fair. Sizes, color, and shapes are variable. Volume is very light. East Coast--Condition of oldest acreage is declining due to dry weather and numerous picks. Harvesting of green Bells from the crown crop is increasing with limb picks yielding a moderate supply. First picks are producing good quality and sizes. Growers continue to market a very light volume of red Bells and specialty varieties. POTATOES: Southwest--All the crop has been killed. Potato harvest is steady. Potatoes harvested are of good quality. Dade-- Potato volume was good this week with good quality and yields. Volume will be down next week as some growers will finish digging this week. West Central--Crop is in poor to good condi tion. Growth and development are slow to normal. Harvest is starting. Quality is poor to fair. Potato size is variable. The yield is down. Hastings--The potato plants are growing slower than normal. Growers are starting to dig. Volume will increase starting the first week of May. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting of good supplies remains active. Quality is generally good. SQUASH: Dade--Harvesting of a good volume remains active. Yield and quality are good. Good supplies remain available until at least mid-May. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking of a steady volume continues. Quality is fair to good. West Central--The crop is in fair condition. Cutting of a very light volume is starting with fair quality and color available. Sizes are variable. East Coast--Condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting of a light supply continues with mostly fancy and medium grades available. Quality and color are good. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Picking is active with most volume sold locally. Dade--The volume for U-Pic harvesting is declining as hot weather impedes berry development. TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Fruit is sizing well. Harvesting continues at a steady pace. Volume is declining seasonally with a fair supply of all sizes available. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Dry weather is reducing the growth of vines in fields not irrigated. Growers continue to make first, second, and third picks. Some third picks were delayed so that fruit can gain more size. Crown picks are yielding mostly good quality and sizes. Dade--The season is winding down. Harvesting is producing good quality and fair yields. Sizes are running mostly large and medium. Packout is fair. Volume is declining seasonally. Pinhooking is very active. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Fruit setting is improving. Fruit sizing is fair. Picking is expected to get underway over the next five to seven days. Quincy--The crop is growing well. Most plants are at the second string. Fruit is beginning to set. Harvesting is expected to begin by early June. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is good. Palmetto- Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Picking is starting. Fruit quality and sizes are fair but are improving. Volume is light but is expected to increase over the next ten days. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at a steady pace. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop remains in fair condition. Picking is underway. Color, sizes and quality are fair. Volume is light. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition is good. Cutting is beginning. Quality is good. West Central--The crop is in fair condition. Plant development is behind usual. To receive this report via e-mail, send an e-mail message to nass-state-releases@news.usda.gov with the following message: subscribe fl-crop-weather. The report will be e-mailed automatically to your e-mail address each week.