fl-crop-weather Week ending December 19, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. December 20, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: Although dry weather continued during the first part of the week of December 12 through 18, significant rain fell over most of the state during the last part. Rain amounts totaled from a half inch at Miami to almost three inches at Orlando and Lake Alfred. Homestead reported a quarter inch for the week and West Palm Beach, a half inch. The Immokalee area received traces to an inch of rain. The Palmetto-Ruskin area recorded one to two and half inches. Temperatures for the week averaged one to five degrees above normal. Daytime highs were in the 60s, 70s and 80s while most lows were in the 40s, 50s and 60s. Alachua, Hastings, Jackson ville, Pensacola, and Tallahassee recorded at least one low in the 30s. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is mostly short to adequate. Rain during the week improved moisture commodities. Winter wheat for grain seeding is virtually complete. Sugarcane grinding and planting are active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 14 0 9 3 Short 51 41 38 47 Adequate 35 59 53 50 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Rains during the week helped the winter pastures throughout the State. Cattlemen in the Panhandle and northern counties are feeding hay due to lack of winter forage. Winter forage is suffering from drought and cool temperatures. The rain reduced fire hazzard conditions. Statewide, cattle and calves are mostly in fair conditions. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 0 0 0 Poor 25 15 5 5 Fair 65 65 85 60 Good 5 20 10 35 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: Much needed rain fell in virtually all areas of Florida's citrus belt Friday and Saturday, December 17 and 18. Some groves received more than 3 inches, however, most areas did record more than two inches. There were the normal dry spots that got less than an inch. Rainfall amounts were suffi cient enough that most caretakers have discontinued their irrigation at this time. All of the early and midseason fruit are now showing good on-tree color break. Maturity levels are getting much better after a very slow start due to last spring's prolonged blooming cycle. Harvesting crews were slowed a little by rain on Friday and Saturday. All fresh fruit packing houses were very active the first of the week filling Christmas orders. Many of this State's processors are now running around the clock seven days a week. Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops that are making good growth with the current mild weather conditions. Many growers are hedging and topping harvested groves so that they might get some bloom in March on the new growth. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Dec 5 Dec 12 Dec 19 Navel oranges 492,000 736,000 467,000 Early & Mid oranges including Ambersweet 5,444,000 7,353,000 7,476,000 All grapefruit 870,000 1,131,000 968,000 Tangerines 260,000 376,000 438,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 12,000 4,000 3,000 Tangelos 156,000 202,000 170,000 VEGETABLES: Harvesting for the holiday market is active. Rain delayed some activity at the end of the week. Vegetables harvested during the week include tomatoes, peppers, endive, escarole, cabbage, cucumbers, pickles, lettuce, radishes, snap beans, squash, strawberries, sweet corn, okra, eggplant, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Harvesting by machine and hand is becoming more active as more acreage reaches maturity. Quality is good. Yield is excellent. Workers are irrigating as needed. East Coast--The early winter crop is in good condition. Hand harvesting is active. Quality and color are good. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Everglades--Harvesting of a small volume continues. Quality is mostly good. West Central--Condition is fair to good. U-Pic harvesting is slowing. Quality is fair to good. CABBAGE: West Central--Transplanting is steady. Crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Hastings, North Central--Transplanting is active. Growth and development are normal. The crop is in good condition. Heads are smaller than normal in some areas. Harvest is gaining momentum. CELERY: Everglades--Fresh market harvesting is expected to begin over the next five to seven days. Good supplies are expected by mid-January. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Pulling is active. Quality and yield are improving. Spring crop planting is getting underway. Southwest--Condition remains good. Picking continues with good quality available. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Winter crop planting continues. Workers are spraying and cultivating as needed. Dade--Young acreage is in good condition. Older fields are tasseling. Workers are irrigating as needed. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: East Coast--Crop condition is good. First picks are yielding very good quality and color with super select and select sizes available. Workers are picking over and cleaning oldest acreage. Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Planting is slow. Picking remains steady with fair to good quality available. West Central--The crop is in fair condition. U-Pic harvesting is nearly complete. Quality is fair. Sizes are variable. PICKLES: Dade--The crop is in good condition. Picking remains active. Quality and yield are good. West Central--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Zellwood--Harvesting is finished. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. Plant growth is very good. Cutting remains active with regular and specialty varieties harvested. Quality and color are good. Workers are cleaning acreage completely harvested. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is slow. Picking is steady. Quality is good. Dade--Young fields are in good condition. Harvesting is active with good quality avail able. Yield is good. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is increasing. Quality is improving. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is increasing. Quality is improving. Lake Placid--Harvesting of Romaine and iceberg is active. Quality is good. OKRA: Dade--Cutting of a limited volume continues. Quality is good. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting and harvesting are steady. Quality is fair to good. East Coast-- Crop condition is improving. Transplanting is active. First and second picks of green Bells are providing good quality and larger sizes. Growers are picking a light volume of specialty varieties. Laying of plastic for winter crop planting remains active. West Central--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting of greens and reds is slowing seasonally. Quality and color are good. Sizes are variable. POTATOES: Dade--Potatoes look very good with good weather for planting. Most planting will be complete by Christmas. Young fields all up to good stands and growing well. West Central--The crop is in fair condition. Growth and development are normal. Southwest--Planting is steady. The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. Hastings--Growers are making preparations to start planting. RADISHES: Everglades--Harvesting is increasing seasonally. Quality is mostly good. Supplies are good. Lake Placid-- Harvesting is underway. SQUASH: Southwest--Condition is rated fair to good. Planting remains steady. Picking of good quality is steady. West Central--Condition is fair. Harvesting is winding down. Quality is fair. Sizes are small to medium. Color is good. East Coast-- Young acreage is growing well. Harvesting of a light volume of zucchini and yellow types remains active. Quality and color are good. Workers are pulling plants from acreage completely picked. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Dover, Lithia--Cooler temper atures are aiding the setting of fruit. Picking is increasing seasonally. Quality is mostly good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in good condition. Quality and sizes are good. Volume is increasing. Dade--Plants are blooming and setting fruit. U-Pic harvesting is active. Volume is increasing. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Cooler temperatures are aiding crop development. Planting continues at a steady pace. Harvesting remains active with a good supply of all sizes available. First picks are yielding mostly extra large and large sizes. Packout is about normal with very little storm-damaged fruit remaining. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair to good. Picking is steady but starting to slow. Fruit quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Growers are preparing for spring crop planting which is expected to begin in early January. East Coast--Crop condition is improving. Crown crop fruit setting is good for fields planted after Hurricane Irene passed. First, second and third picks are providing mostly good quality and variable sizes. Acreage to be picked over the next few weeks has improved quality and sizes. Dade--Crop condition is good. Transplanting is active. Picking of a small volume yielded good quality and sizes. Packout was below normal due to storm- damaged fruit. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop remains in fair to good condition. Planting continues at a steady pace. Picking is steady with fair to good quality available. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop is in fair condition. Picking is nearing the end. Quality is fair. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is steady. Picking of fair to good quality is steady. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is rated in fair to good condition. Harvesting is slow as the season nears the end. Quality is good. Sizes are fair to good. Growers are preparing land for spring crop planting. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is nearing the end. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting is finished. 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.