fl-crop-weather Week ending December 13, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. December 14, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Hot temperatures persisted during the week of December 6 through 12. Temperatures at the major stations averaged six to twelve degrees above normal for the week. Daytime highs were mostly in the 70s and 80s. Nighttime lows were mostly in the 50s and 60s. Dry weather continued with most stations recording less than a tenth inch for the week. Pensacola recorded about an inch and a third; West Palm Beach, a half inch; and Miami, about a third inch. A cold front passing over the State on Sunday, December 13 brought a quarter inch or more of rain to most areas followed by significantly cooler temperatures. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the Panhandle is short to adequate with areas of very short moisture. In the north ern Peninsula the topsoil moisture is very short to short. Mois ture in the southern part of the Peninsula is short to adequate. Dry weather is delaying small grain and forage emergence and growth in areas of the Panhandle and northern Peninsula. Winter wheat for grain planting is virtually complete. Winter wheat stands are poor in some areas due to lack of moisture. Cotton harvesting is virtually complete. Sugarcane harvest and planting are active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 3 17 4 6 Short 45 55 30 36 Adequate 52 28 64 55 Surplus 0 0 2 3 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pastures were in very poor condition in the Panhandle and central counties due to drought. In the southern counties, normal winter dieback is visible. However, cattle and calves were reported to generally be in fair to good condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 5 0 0 Poor 15 15 0 0 Fair 40 30 30 35 Good 45 40 70 55 Excellent 0 10 0 10 CITRUS: Summer-like weather, with temperatures in the 80s, was the rule this week until Sunday when a cold front produced scattered rain with a few thunderstorms. The rains did not leave large accumulations which are needed to help replenish the depleted surface moisture levels. Growers in all areas have been irrigating to keep their trees and fruit in good condition. Virtu ally all of the early fruit has good on-tree coloring. Some fresh fruit packing houses are shipping fruit without using the degreen ing room. Harvesting crews are working long hours to move the necessary fruit for Christmas markets. Most processing plants are also open and running long hours to move the early oranges that have lower acid levels. Some tangerines and tangelos are going directly to the processors as they have a need for the brighter colored juice with higher pounds solids. Caretakers are cutting cover crops for fire protection prior to the arrival of the harvesting crews. Very few sprays and fertilizers are being applied at this time. Most of the growers, in the coldest pockets, using heaters have placed and fueled them. Dead tree removal and burning of the debris continues in all areas. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Nov 29 Dec 6 Dec 13 Navel oranges 299,000 582,000 652,000 Early & Mid oranges 4,148,000 6,309,000 6,629,000 All grapefruit 748,000 852,000 1,004,000 Tangerines 194,000 233,000 299,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 1,000 3,000 3,000 Tangelos 99,000 206,000 264,000 VEGETABLES: Mostly clear weather allowed harvesting to proceed on schedule to meet the holiday demand. Major crops shipped during the week included snap beans, cabbage, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, pickles, radishes, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Crop condition is good. Planting remains active. Harvesting continues. Yield is good. Quality is fair. East Coast--Crop condition is generally good. Picking yielded good quality and color. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. West Central--Harvesting is nearing the end. CABBAGE: West Central--Planting is steady. The crop is in fair to good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Hastings--Planting is active. The crop is in good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Growers are getting ready to start harvest. Zellwood--Harvest underway. CARROTS: All areas--Condition remains good. Harvesting is expected to start in about one to two weeks. CELERY: Everglades--Condition is improving. Harvesting is expected to begin in about one to two weeks. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting is active. Quality is generally good. Southwest--Picking is underway with good quality available. East Coast--Older plants are making good stands. Youngest acreage germinated well. Planting continues at a slow pace. Dade--Crop condition remains good. Oldest acreage is tasseling with some plants showing ears. Growers expect a fair volume by January. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: East Coast--Planting is active. Picking is yielding good quality and color. Workers are cleaning acreage completely harvested. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking continues at a steady pace with good quality available. West Central--Harvesting is almost done. PICKLES: Dade--Picking continues with good quality and yield available. A good volume is expected over the next six weeks. Planting of winter crop acreage is finished. West Central-- Harvesting is nearing the end. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is very good. Cutting of regular and Italian types is producing very good to excellent quality and color with fancy grade available. Dade--Condition is good. Young plants are bushing out well. Harvesting is active. Quality and yield are good. A good volume is expected over the next two months. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting is slow. Cutting remains steady. Quality is good. West Central-- Harvesting is nearing the end. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is increasing. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting continues to gain momen tum. OKRA: Dade--Harvesting is active. Quality and yield are fair. Volume is low with supplies available over the next four to six weeks. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Harvesting remains steady with good quality available. East Coast--Young plant growth is improving. Picking of Bell and specialty types is active. First picks are yielding improved quality and larger sizes. Supplies are fluctuat ing with market conditions. Workers continue to lay plastic and transplant. West Central--Harvesting is active. Quality is mostly good. POTATOES: Dade--Planting continues on schedule with soil perfect for planting. Some fields are up to a good stand with no problems at this time. Southwest--Planting is steady. The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. West Central--Planting is gaining momentum. The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. RADISHES: Everglades--Planting is active. Digging is increas ing. Supply is light. SQUASH: Southwest--Condition remains fair to good. Planting is steady. Harvesting remains steady with fair to good quality available. East Coast--Condition is mostly good. Young plants are growing well. Harvesting of light amounts is active with zucchini and yellow types available. Color and quality are good. Dade--Crop condition is good. Harvesting increased with a good volume available. Workers are planting, spraying, and irrigating as needed. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting continues to increase. Quality is fair to mostly good. Dade-- Condition is good. Oldest plants are blooming with U-Pic harvesting expected to begin in seven to fourteen days. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Fruit set and sizing are good. Planting and picking remain steady. Quality is fair to good with a good supply of all sizes available. Yield is low. Gradeout is about normal. East Coast--Crop condition is generally good. Young plants show accelerated growth with some plants setting fruit higher on the bush than usual. Oldest fields are declining seasonally. Harvesting contin ues with some fields yielding improved sizes and quality for first picks. Second and third picks are producing larger sizes. Laying of plastic, transplanting, and spraying remain active. Dade-- Crop condition remains good. Young plants are making good, strong hands. Planting is active. Growers are starting to remove pinks from some small fields with harvesting of greens to start in five to ten days. Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting is nearing the end. Quality is generally good. Quincy--Picking is virtually completed. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition remains fair to good. Planting and picking are steady. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting is almost over. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting remains steady. Harvesting of fair to good quality fruit continues at a steady pace. Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality is generally good. WATERMELONS: Southwest, Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting is almost finished. Quality is fair to good. 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. 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