fl-crop-weather Week ending May 30, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. June 1, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: The week of May 23 through May 29 was warm with scattered showers occurring in many areas of the State. Rainfall totaled from traces to nearly two inches at the major stations. Some local areas in the Palmetto-Ruskin region received from a trace to as much as four inches of rain. Temperatures at the major stations averaged from normal to two degrees above normal. Daily highs were mostly in the lower 90s. Daily lows were mostly in the 60s with Tampa and Key West reporting lows in the 70s. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the Panhandle is mostly adequate with scattered areas of short. Topsoil moisture in the Peninsula is very short to short with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Growers in the Panhandle were able to plant cotton and peanuts that had been delayed due to dry soils. Some cotton and peanuts were replanted because of poor stands. Tobacco is being irrigated. Hay fields are responding well in most cases to the rainfall. Growers reported virtually all of the peanuts are planted compared with 74 percent last week. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 10 21 7 26 Short 42 55 41 53 Adequate 48 24 52 21 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture conditions worsened for much of the State last week. In the Panhandle, conditions varied with the amount of rain recently received. Some locations showed drought stress. In the northern counties, a general drought condition continues. Some losses were reported in hay fields. In the central area, pasture conditions were reported fair with some areas not having received rain for six weeks. The southwest pastures were fair to good, with some low lying areas reported in fair shape. Ponds in the west central counties were still dry. The overall condition of the cattle improved slightly. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 0 0 0 Poor 25 40 20 10 Fair 65 50 70 80 Good 5 10 10 10 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: There were several scattered rains and some heavy thunderstorms with high winds in isolated areas of Florida's citrus belt. Some irrigation continues in the dryer groves and on the high sand hills. New growth is showing on trees of all ages. There are only a few groves in open bloom at this time. Several grapefruit groves that bloomed in early March have new crop fruit the size of golf balls and larger. Some Temples, tangerines and tangelos that bloomed during April and May have very small size new crop fruit. Movement of Valencia oranges has slowed as supplies are running low in most areas. Harvest of all grapefruit is about over for this season. Harvest of Honey tangerines is very slow and about over. Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops. Post bloom nutritional spraying continues in all areas as some trees have just finished blooming. Abandoned groves and dead trees are being pushed and burned. Summer fertilizations and second sprays are being applied in those well-cared-for groves. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop May 16 May 23 May 31 Valencia oranges 4,689,000 3,933,000 3,208,000 All grapefruit 307,000 201,000 90,000 Honey Tangerines 15,000 7,000 2,000 Temples 2,000 0 1,000 VEGETABLES: Major vegetables shipped: snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, pickles, potatoes, radishes, squash, tomatoes, watermelons. SNAP BEANS: North--Harvesting is active. Supplies remain active. Dade, Southwest, West Central--Harvest is complete. Everglades--Harvest is virtually complete. East Coast--Quality and color are good from limited volume from hand-picked harvest. Growers are cleaning up, mowing, and discing after hand harvest. CABBAGE: West Central--Crop is in fair condition. Spring harvest is winding down. Quality is fair to good. Size is variable. Color is good. Hastings-Harvest is virtually complete. Dade, Zellwood--Harvest is complete. CARROTS: All areas_ Harvesting is complete. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting is complete. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvest is winding down and should finish by next week. Quality and yields have been very good. Dade--Season is complete except for small fields for local sales. East Coast--Season is virtually over. Very light volume for local sales. Zellwood--Harvest is active. Dry weather will reduce yields in June somewhat. North--Harvest is starting. Crop is in good condition. CUCUMBERS, Fresh market: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is winding down. Growth and development are normal. Quality and size are fair to good. East Coast--Condition of the crop, fruit set, and sizes are good. Market prices and reduction in labor are causing harvest to rapidly wind down. Mowing and clean up in remaining fields continues. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is winding down. Quality and color are good. Size is variable. PICKLES: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is winding down. Fruit quality and size are good. Zellwood--Harvest is active. Quality and yields are fair to good. Dade--Season is complete. EGGPLANT: Dade--Harvest is complete. East Coast--Crop conditions are good. Fruit setting and sizing well. Harvest volume moderate from regular and specialty eggplant. Quality and color remain good. Cutting mostly Fancy, with very light on choice. Workers are active at removal of stakes and mowing down older crop. Southwest--Harvest is winding down. Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Quality and size are fair to good. West Central--U-Pic still active but they are slowing down. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is virtually complete. LETTUCE: Everglades--Season is over. OKRA: Dade--Okra fields look very good. Volume is improving with good quality and yield. PEPPERS: Southwest--The crop is in fair condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is winding down. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--Condition of crop remains in fair to mostly good shape. Crown picks of green bells are providing good quality and very good size (extra large and large) pods. Other picks provide mostly good quality and variable sizes. Supply for the crown pick will probably wind down in the next 7 to 10 days. Other picks are available. Workers are pulling stakes, removing strings and mowing down harvested fields. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is mostly steady. Fruit quality and color are fair to good. Size is variable. POTATOES: Dade, Southwest, West Central--Harvest is complete. Hastings--Crop is in excellent condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is active. Yields are good to very good. RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--Harvest is finished for the season. SQUASH: Dade--Season is virtually complete. Some small fields for local market. Southwest--Harvest is complete. East Coast--Spring season harvest is complete. Growers are mowing and pulling up plastic. West Central--Harvest is virtually complete. U-Pic only for about next 2 weeks. STRAWBERRIES: Dade, Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin-- Harvest is complete. TOMATOES: Dade, Southwest--Harvest is complete. Fields are being cleared of all stakes and plastic. East Coast--Crop conditions remain in fair to good shape. Good foliage, set, and quality in the fields are nearing maturity. Crown picks are providing large sized fruit and good quality. Some of the second picks were accelerating in maturity, and are being harvested with good quality and variable sizes. A few fields were walked through for the best of the third picks and then stopped. Fruit continues to show rapid ripening on some varieties. Fields that will be near crown picks in the next few weeks are showing good set and sizing up of the fruit. Workers are removing stakes, string, and plastic from harvested fields. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Plant growth and fruit setting are fair. Harvest is steady but slowing. Some growers have finished and others will finish next week. Fruit quality is fair to good. The yield is fair to good. Most growers will be making only two picks. Some of the younger fields may be picked only once. Spraying is active. Quincy--Crop is in good condition. Growers will start light picking this week. Volume picking should start next week. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop remains in fair condition. Harvesting is winding down. Growth and development are normal. Quality and size are fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop condition is fair to good. Quality is good. Size is normal. Volume is decreasing. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop condition is fair. Growth and development are normal. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. There is not much acreage left to pick. Quality is good. Size and color are fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Picking is winding down. Growth and development are normal. Fruit quality and size are fair to good. WATERMELONS: Southwest--The crop condition is fair. Harvest is winding down. Growth and development are normal. Quality and size are fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop remains in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvest will be active for the next two weeks. Quality is good. Size is medium to large. Color is good. Taste is great. North--The irrigated crop is in good condition. Non-irrigated crop ranges from poor to good depending on rainfall received. Vines are showing the effects of wind and sand damage, particularly in dry, non-irrigated fields. Growers will be making first picks this week. Central--Harvest is active. Irrigated crop in good condition. 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.