fl-crop-weather Week ending January 2, 2000 Released 4:00 P.M. January 3, 2000 WEATHER SUMMARY: Mostly dry weather continued during the week of December 26 through January 1. Rain totaled from a tenth to one third inch with most stations recording no rain for the week. The potential for wildfires is high in northern areas and is increasing in some central and southern localities due to continued dry weather. Temperatures were cool at the start of the week when Homestead recorded a low of 39 on Monday, December 27 which produced a frost. Temperatures for the week averaged normal at the major stations. Most daytime highs were in the 60s and 70s while most lows were in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Some northern areas recorded lows in the 20s at the start of the week. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is mostly very short to short with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Pine tree planting is active. Sugarcane grinding and planting are active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 1 1 0 Short 31 60 41 67 Adequate 69 39 58 33 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: In the Panhandle counties, cool temperatures and dry soil conditions are reducing small grain forages. Hay supplies are rapidly being reduced. In the north, cool season forages are progressing slowly due to dry soil and cool temperatures. In central Florida, supplemental hay feeding is seasonally active. In the southwest, pasture and cattle condition are fair to good. The condition of cattle and calves Statewide are fair to good. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 0 0 0 Poor 15 30 5 5 Fair 70 35 70 45 Good 10 35 25 50 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: There were light scattered showers on Tuesday, December 28 in the southern and coastal parts of Florida. The rest of the week was mild with some daytime temperatures reaching near the 80 degree mark. Rain is needed in virtually all areas of the citrus belt. Growers and caretakers are running their irrigation systems to help maintain good tree condition. Some groves on the high sand hills are very dry. There is a little feathery new growth starting to show in the southern citrus counties. All of the regular bloom early and midseason fruit are showing good on-tree color break. Picking crews are rapidly moving large amounts of oranges to the processors. The weather for harvesting has been ideal. Fresh fruit packing houses are shipping Hamlin oranges, Navels, tangelos, white and colored grapefruit and tangerines. Caretakers are cutting cover crops prior to harvesting. Hedging and topping are very active in the southern and coastal areas. Few sprays continue on fresh crops. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Dec 19 Dec 26 Jan 2 Navel oranges 467,000 187,000 NA Early & Mid oranges including Ambersweet 7,476,000 5,519,000 NA All grapefruit 968,000 710,000 NA Tangerines 438,000 219,000 NA Honey tangerines 0 2,000 NA K-Early Citrus Fruit 3,000 0 NA Tangelos 170,000 44,000 NA VEGETABLES: The cold temperatures caused no significant damage to crops. Wet conditions early in the week delayed some fieldwork over the southern Peninsula. Shipping for the holiday market was very active with some work slowing for the holiday observance. Vegetables harvested during the week include tomatoes, peppers, endive, escarole, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, pickles, lettuce, radishes, snap beans, squash, strawberries, sweet corn, okra, and eggplant. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Condition is very good with young acreage in excellent condition. Picking is mostly steady with good quality available. Workers are irrigating as needed. East Coast-- Crop condition is mostly good. Hand harvesting is active with good quality available. Volume is very light. Color is good. Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Cooler tempera tures are slowing plant growth and development. Planting is steady. Harvesting is active with good quality available. Everglades--Harvesting is virtually finished. West Central-- Picking of the fall crop is complete. CABBAGE: West Central--Transplanting is complete. Crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is starting. 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--Harvesting continues. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting remains active. Quality is variable. Spring crop planting is getting underway. Southwest--Picking continues. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Oldest acreage is starting to tassel. Workers continue to cultivate younger acreage as needed. Dade--Crop condition is very good. Young fields are making good stands. Picking is expected to start in one to two weeks. Planting is almost completed. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: East Coast--Picking is active. Volume is lighter. Quality and color are mostly good. Workers continue to clean fields completely picked. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is winding down. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Dade--Crop condition is good. Harvesting of a limited acreage is expected to begin soon with good quality available. West Central--Fall crop picking is completed. PICKLES: Dade--Crop condition is good. Picking of good quality is active. Volume is good. West Central, Zellwood-- Picking of the fall crop is finished. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Winter crop acreage is in good condition with fields starting to set fruit. Harvesting of a lighter volume is active. Quality and color are good with mostly fancy sizes cut. Both regular and specialty types are available. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting is nearing the end. Cutting is steady with good quality available. Dade--Crop condition is rated very good. Harvesting of good quality is active. Volume is expected to be good for the rest of the season. West Central--Fall crop harvesting is finished. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting continues. LETTUCE: Everglades, Lake Placid--Harvesting is active. OKRA: Dade--Cool temperatures are slowing growth. Harvest ing of a limited volume continues with good quality available. Yield is low. PEPPERS: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting and harvesting are steady. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--Recent plantings are in good condition. Picking of a slightly lighter volume of green Bells is active with both first and second picks made. Quality is mostly good. Harvesting of yellow and red Bells and specialty types is producing a light volume of mostly good quality. Laying of plastic and transplanting of winter crop acreage continues. Workers are removing stakes and strings from acreage completely picked and mowing plants down. Dade- -The crop is in good condition. Picking is active with good quality available. West Central--Fall crop picking is completed. POTATOES: Dade--Potatoes look very good with good weather for planting. Planting is virtually complete. Stands are good in most fields. Plants are growing well and fields look excellent. West Central--The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. Planting is steady. Southwest-- Planting is steady. The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are good. Hastings--Growers are starting to plant. RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--Harvesting continues with mostly good quality available. SQUASH: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting of a limited acreage is slow. Picking remains steady with good quality available. East Coast--Young acreage is in good condi tion. Picking of zucchini and yellow types continues. Quality and color are mostly good. Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Harvesting of mostly yellow types is active with good quality available. Supply of zucchini is limited as picking gets underway. West Central--Fall crop harvesting is finished. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Dover, Lithia--Picking is steady. Quality is mostly good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in good condition. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Color and sizes are good. Dade--Cool weather is aiding berry development. U-Pic harvesting is increasing. Quality is good. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Transplanting is steady. Cooler temperatures are slowing plant growth. Harvesting is steady with good quality and sizes avail able. East Coast--Winter crop acreage is in mostly good condition with fruit set and sizing improving. Harvesting continues with some delay early in the week due to wet condi tions. Quality and sizes from first picks are good. Yield is increasing as acreage not affected by earlier tropical storms reaches maturity. Transplanting continues on schedule. Dade-- Crop condition is very good. Cooler temperatures are helping crop development. Transplanting is winding down. Picking is increasing with mostly good yields. First picks are producing mostly 5x6 and 6x6 sizes. Packout is mostly good. Palmetto- Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Harvesting of a light volume is active but most growers have completed fall crop harvesting. Quality is fair to good. Workers are preparing land for spring crop planting. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Planting remains steady. Harvesting continues with good quality available. Palmetto-Ruskin--Picking of the fall crop is finished. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting and picking are steady with good quality avail able. Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting of the fall crop is nearing the end. Quality is fair. Volume is light. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Harvesting is nearly complete. Quality is fair. 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.