fl-crop-weather Week ending May 24, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. May 26, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Some east central localities welcomed rainfall for the week of May 17 through 23 with Daytona Beach recording a little over a tenth inch and Orlando reporting about a half inch accumulation. Jacksonville also recorded a trace of rain. Dade County also received spotty showers of a trace to a quarter inch. Temperatures remained hot with the weekly averages mostly two to four degrees above normal. Lows averaged in the 60s and 70s while highs averaged in the 80s and 90s. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is very short to short with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Wheat growers have started harvesting. Dry soil continues to delay cotton, peanut, and soybean planting in most areas. Dry weather is slowing forage development in most areas. Seventy-eight percent of the peanuts are planted. Peanut condition: very poor 3%, poor 14%, fair 57%, good 24%, and excellent 2%. 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 37 56 13 28 Short 62 44 44 50 Adequate 1 0 43 22 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture conditions throughout the State were poor to fair. Hay was being fed in the north, if available. In the central area, pastures were stressed because of so little rain. Permanent pastures were in poor condition due to drought. In the west central area, pasture growth was at a standstill due to drought. There have been brush fires in the southwest area due to the dry conditions. There was very little pasture grass growth. Pastures are running short of water as no rain has fallen there in the past 3-4 weeks. Statewide, the cattle condition continues fair to poor. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 10 5 5 5 Poor 30 50 10 5 Fair 45 45 60 60 Good 15 0 25 30 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: It was very hot and dry again this week in all areas of Florida's citrus belt. Growers and caretakers are using all types of irrigation equipment around the clock to try to keep their trees in good condition. Many groves that are not irrigated are wilting and showing varying degrees of stress. Droppage of little green fruit varies depending on general grove care and post bloom fruit drop (blight). Some shedding of the little green fruit is normal at this time. New growth is limited to some trees that have had excellent care. Valencia harvest continues active in all areas. Harvest of all seedless grapefruit is slowing as many fresh fruit packing houses have closed for the season. The extreme dry conditions are causing some softening of fruit remaining to be picked. Virtually all fruit being harvested at this time is going to the processors. Caretakers are cutting cover crops, spraying and fertilizing. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop May 10 May 17 May 25 Valencia oranges 7,531,000 6,219,000 6,731,000 All grapefruit 985,000 800,000 665,000 Honey tangerines 9,000 7,000 2,000 VEGETABLES: Tomato growers in southern areas took a harvesting holiday at the end of the week with none picked on May 23 and 24. Growers in Manatee County are taking special measures for the harvesting of tomatoes due to the Medfly quarantine with only green tomatoes allowed to be marketed from quarantined fields. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans, blueberries, cabbage, carrots, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, okra, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, tomatoes, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: North--Picking remains active. Quality is mostly good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is winding down. Quality is fair to good. West Central--Condition is fair to good. U-Pic harvesting is slowing. Quality is fair to good. Zellwood--Harvesting of a small acreage continues. Quality is mostly good. East Coast--Condition is mostly good. Harvesting of a small acreage is slowing seasonally with hand picks yielding good quality and color. Dade--Picking for local sales is active. Everglades--The season is virtually over. BLUEBERRIES: West Central, North--Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality is mostly good. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- CABBAGE: Dade--Harvest is complete. West Central--Harvest is winding down. Crop condition is fair. Growth and development are normal. Head quality and size are variable. Central, Hastings-- Harvest is active. Head size and quality are close to normal. Growth and development are normal. CARROTS: Zellwood--Harvesting continues. Quality is generally good. CELERY: Zellwood--Picking continues with good quality available. Everglades--Harvesting is virtually over. SWEET CORN: Everglades, Zellwood--Picking continues. Quality is mostly good. Southwest-- Condition is fair to good. Harvesting is slowing as the season nears the end. Quality is good. East Coast--Growers continue to pull a small amount for local sales. Dade--Harvesting is finished for the season. Growers are clearing fields and planting cover crops. CUCUMBERS: North--Picking continues. Quality is mostly good. West Central--Condition is fair to good with hot temperatures affecting plant growth and fruit development. Picking of wax types is steady. Quality is fair to good with super select and select sizes available. Color is good. Harvesting of pickles is yielding good quality. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to good. Producers continue to make only the first and second picks from some blocks due to the low market. Volume is mostly moderate. Quality and color are good. Only a limited acreage remains to be harvested. Southwest-- Condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Pickle picking is producing good quality and yield. Volume is fair. Growers are harvesting a small acreage of wax types. Quality and yield are good. Zellwood--Picking continues. Quality is mostly good. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. Producers are making first, second, and third picks with crop picks yielding good quality, color, and sizes. Fancy and medium grades are available. Cutting of strings and the removal of stakes and plastic from acreage completely picked remains active. Southwest--Condition is fair. Harvesting continues to decline seasonally. Quality is good. West Central--Harvesting is virtually finished. Dade--Growers continue to harvest for mostly local sales. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades, Zellwood--Harvesting continues to slow seasonally with hot temperatures affecting growth. Quality is generally good. LETTUCE: Everglades, Zellwood--The season is virtually over as hot temperatures affect plant growth. OKRA: Dade--Crop condition is good. Harvesting is increasing seasonally. Quality and yield continue to improve with a fair supply available. Growers are irrigating as needed. PEPPERS: West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are medium and large. Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Crown picks are yielding very good quality and good sizes. Limb picks are producing variable quality and sizes. The clean up of acreage completely picked continues. POTATOES: Southwest, Dade, West Central--Potato harvest is complete. Hastings--Potato harvest is active. The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are slow to normal. RADISHES: Zellwood--Harvesting remains active. Quality is generally good. SQUASH: North--Picking continues. Quality is generally good. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at a steady pace. Quality of soft types is fair to good with variable sizes available. Acorn quality and sizes are good. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Hot temperatures are increasing fruit set and sizing but are affecting plant growth with condition rated fair to good. Cutting of fancy and medium grades is active. Quality and color are good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is winding down. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Picking for local sales remains active. Growers disced some acreage due to the low market. STRAWBERRIES: Dade--Only a limited acreage remains open to U-Pic harvesting. TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is mostly steady. Fruit quality is fair to mostly good with good sizes available. A Medfly quarantine started the week beginning Sunday May 24 with only green tomatoes allowed to be marketed from quarantined fields. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good with hot temperatures and dry conditions affecting plant development. Harvesting of a light to moderate volume is active. Crown picks are yielding good sizes and quality. Southwest--The season is nearing the end with a very light volume being picked. Sizes are mostly large and medium. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Harvesting is nearly finished with only pinhooking still in progress. Quincy--Condition is good. Packing houses will start opening over the next ten days. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting continues with some delays due to the low market. Quality is fair to good. Sizes and color are good. PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at a steady pace. Quality is fair to good with normal sizes and good color available. Volume is steady. Southwest--Crop condition is fair. Picking continues to slow. Quality is fair. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is good. Central--Picking continues to gain momentum as more acreage reaches maturation. Quality is good. North--Vines are healthy. Some fields show damage from last month's wind borne sand. Some acreage has football sized fruit. Growers are irrigating as needed.