FL-CROP-WEATER Week ending November 1, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. November 2, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Mostly drier weather occurred during the week of October 25 through 31. The major stations reported from none to only traces of rain for the week. Homestead reported about half an inch falling early during the period. Palmetto-Ruskin recorded traces of rain while the Immokalee area reported no rain for the week. Cooler temperatures persisted with lows ranging from the 40s and 50s in northern areas, to the 50s and 60s in central areas, to the 60s and 70s in southern areas. Highs were mainly in the 80s. Temperatures mostly averaged within a degree of normal. Gusty winds continued along the southeastern coast during the first part of the period. FIELD CROPS: The topsoil moisture throughout the State is short to adequate with areas of very short moisture. Dry weather is delaying small grain and forage planting. Harvesting of cotton is active. Soybean harvest is winding down. Haying is active with excellent conditions. Sugarcane harvest and planting is active. Ninety-four percent of the peanuts for nuts are reported harvested. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 13 0 7 Short 23 40 8 26 Adequate 77 47 85 60 Surplus 0 0 7 7 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Dry conditions improved pasture in some areas and worsened the pasture in other areas. In the northern counties, the condition deteriorated because of dry conditions last week. Pasture grass was gone already in some northern areas and hay feeding has begun. The planting of winter annual grasses for pasture was delayed because of dry soil conditions. However, the growth of grass is permanent pastures continued seasonal decline. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 0 10 0 0 Fair 60 55 35 45 Good 40 25 65 40 Excellent 0 10 0 15 CITRUS: This week was mostly dry with only a few scattered showers Monday and Tuesday. Several growers and caretakers are irrigating to maintain good tree and fruit condition. New growth has slowed considerably. There are still a lot of small fruit which is attributed to the very dry late spring and early summer. Also, October was a drier than normal month in most citrus growing counties. Most early fruit is showing good on-tree color break. Harvesting crews are moving early oranges, white and colored grapefruit, early tangerines and some K-Early Citrus Fruit. A few more processors are opening this week. Caretakers are cutting cover crops that have grown tall and out of control. Limited spraying for packing house fruit continues with the last fertilizations on young trees. Pushing and burning of unthrifty grapefruit has been reported in several areas. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Oct 18 Oct 25 Nov 1 Navel oranges 101,000 154,000 200,000 Early & Mid oranges 133,000 150,000 488,000 All grapefruit 601,000 812,000 820,000 Tangerines 132,000 139,000 144,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 3,000 4,000 7,000 Tangelos 0 3,000 15,000 VEGETABLES: Tomato harvesting started in the Immokalee and East Coast regions. Vegetables shipped during the week included snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, pickles, squash, tomatoes, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: North--Picking continued. Volume remains light. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to good. Young leaves are recovering from recent wind burn. Older plants continue to develop pin beans. Dade--The crop remains in good condition. Oldest plants show pin beans forming with no significant damage from the recent strong winds. Fields dried from the recent rainfall with only plants in very low spots damaged. Picking is expected to begin in about two weeks. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting continued. West Central--Crop condition is fair with drier weather helping plant growth and bean development. CABBAGE: West Central_Cabbage planting is steady. The crop is in fair to good condition. Crop growth and development is normal. Hastings_Planting is active. Crop growth and development is normal. Dade_Transplanting has started and good stands have been established. CARROTS: All areas--Planting continued. CELERY: Everglades--Planting is active. SWEET CORN: Zellwood, North--Picking continued. Significant supplies are available over the next two weeks. East Coast--Planting is expected to begin within the next two to three weeks. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting increased seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are fair. Yield is below normal. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to mostly good with recent strong winds affecting plant growth and development. Harvesting continued. Workers thinned young plants. Mid-growth plants are forming runners, blooming, setting fruit, and sizing fruit. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continued to increase with growers realizing good quality and yield. PICKLES: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at a steady pace. Quality, size, and yield are fair. Volume is increasing. Dade--Planting is on schedule. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Harvesting of regular and Italian types continued with good quality and color available. Mid-growth plants are blooming and starting to set fruit. West Central--Condition remains fair to good. Harvesting is expected to start over the next seven to ten days. Dade--Crop condition is good. Oldest plants are blooming. Southwest--Condition remains fair to good. Planting remains light. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is expected to begin within the next two weeks. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is expected to start within the next two weeks. OKRA: Dade--Crop condition is good. Cutting continued with good quality and yield available. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition of Bell types remains fair to good. Specialty varieties are in good condition. Planting remains steady. Bell harvest is producing fair to good quality and light yield. Picking of specialty types is producing good quality and yield. East Coast--Recent strong winds dried the tops of some older plants. Young plants are recovering from leaf burn. Harvesting of Bells is increasing. First picks are providing variable sizes and quality. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is expected to start in about seven to ten days. POTATOES: Dade_Growers started planting potatoes. Southwest_Planting is gaining momentum. Plants are starting to come up. RADISHES: Everglades--Planting and harvesting continued. SQUASH: East Coast--Picking remains active with zucchini and yellow types cut. Quality and color are generally good with fancy and mediums available. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Cutting is gaining momentum. Quality, size, and color are fair. Volume is light. Southwest--Crop condition remains fair to good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Picking is increasing with good quality and yield available. Dade--Crop condition is rated very good. Planting is on schedule. Harvesting is active with good quality available. Yield is average. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Transplanting is virtually finished. TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is rated fair to good. Planting remains steady. Fruit set improved. Fruit sizing is good. Picking began with fair to good quality, size, and yield. Packout is slightly above normal due to cracked shoulders caused by earlier heavy rainfall. Volume is expected to increase as more acreage reaches maturity. Quincy--Harvesting continued with some growers making first picks. Volume continues to increase. Cooler temperatures have delayed some fruit maturation. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Fruit setting is nearing the end. Fruit sizing is fair. Picking is gaining momentum. Fruit quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Yield is below usual. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to mostly good. Gusty wind during the early part of the week caused some bloom loss and scarred some young fruit. Transplanting remained active. Picking started with variable quality and sizes available. Dade--Crop condition is rated very good. Cooler temperatures are boosting plant growth. Planting increased. Workers irrigated as needed. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is rated fair to good. Picking increased with fair to good quality available. Yield is below normal. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting remained steady. Harvesting started with good quality available. PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting gained momentum. Quality, sizes, and color are fair to good. Yield is below average. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting remained steady. Picking began with good quality available. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting gained momentum. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are small to medium. Yield is below normal. Volume is expected to increase as more acreage reaches maturity. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Cutting is steady with good quality available. Yield is below normal. 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.