fl-crop-weather State Florida Crop Weather Week Ending/Released Dates Week Ending July 29,2001 Released 4:00 P.M. July 30, 2001 Report Code FL-WE8500 Weather Summary Scattered rains brought some needed rain to the Panhandle and northern Peninsula localities during the week of July 22 through 28. Rain amounts varied from a trace at Ocklawaha to almost nine inches at Bradenton. Tallahassee, Pensacola and Jacksonville reported from about one and a half to almost three inches falling. Immokalee received over four inches. Temperatures at the major stations averaged from two degrees below normal to one degree above. Most daytime highs were in the 80s and 90s while most lows were in the 70s. Field Crops Report Topsoil and subsoil moisture supplies improved and are mostly adequate to surplus with a few scattered areas of very short to short supplies. Peanut crop condition is rated eight percent fair, seventy-three percent good and nineteen percent excellent with 80 percent of the crop pegged. Irrigated cotton, corn, and sugarcane remain in good condition. Tobacco harvesting continues. Haying is active as weather permits. Soil Moisture Chart Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 1 1 4 1 Short 16 5 29 19 Adequate 66 66 50 59 Surplus 17 28 17 21 Livestock Report Pasture grass growth in the Panhandle has been limited by dry soil conditions in several locations. In the north counties, haying is active as weather permits. Stock ponds in the central area, are still dry in spite of recent rains. In the south west, the pasture condition is generally good. However, some locations have pasture under water from recent rains. Statewide, the cattle condition is mostly good. Livestock Condition Chart Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 0 5 10 5 Fair 25 30 10 20 Good 75 65 75 70 Excellent 0 0 5 5 Fruit Report CITRUS: Most citrus groves remained wet for the first part of the week and then drier conditions prevailed for the last several days. All citrus producing counties reported above average rainfall for July with many cities showing more than twice the normal rainfall for the month. The wet, hot and humid grove conditions have produced an abundance of new foliage on trees of all ages. New crop fruit continues to make very good progress. There is a little fruit splitting primarily on some of the early fruit with thin skins. Most grapefruit in the well-cared-for groves are sizing well with plenty of fruit now in the baseball and larger sizes. There is very little late or off bloom on an industry basis. Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops that are making rapid growth with the help of the recent heavy rains. Growers are herbiciding and mowing to slow the weed growth. Summer fertilizations and sprays are being applied between the rains and thunderstorms. Hedging, topping and burning of dead trees and limbs continues in all areas. Main canals and irrigation ditches are being cleaned for more efficient water movement. Vegetable Report Harvesting of okra in Dade County is slowing seasonally. Tomato planting is getting underway in the Quincy area. Wet ground is delaying some ground preparation in the Palmetto- Ruskin and Immokalee regions. East Coast producers are cleaning ditches, leveling land and laying plastic for tomato and pepper plantings. Comments/Contact Information To receive this report via e-mail, send an e-mail message to listserv@newsbox.usda.gov with the following message: add usda-fl-crop- weather your-email-address your.name (optional) An example: add usda-fl-crop-weather jsmith@qtm.com john smith. The report will be e-mailed automatically to your e-mail address each week. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Return to the Table of Contents for Publications