Return to the Table of Contents for Publications ------------------------------------------------------------------------ VEGETABLES SPRING ACREAGE (April, May, June, July) April 10, 2000 Florida Agricultural Statistics Service | 1222 Woodward Street | Orlando, Florida 32803 | 407 / 648-6013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ FLORIDA WEATHER: Mostly dry and warm CUCUMBERS: The cucumber crop is in conditions during January, February, fair to good condition. There was no and March provided nearly ideal freeze this winter to damage the conditions for vegetable growth and crop. Planting is winding down. development but increased the need Growth and development are normal. for irrigation. Some cold Harvest is active in the southern temperatures and frost occurred in areas. Fruit is of good quality, January causing some sweet corn size, and color. (North, 400, 400; acreage in the Everglades to be Central, 1,900, 2,300; Southwest, replanted. Otherwise, no significant 1,100, 1,100; Southeast, 1,900, weather problems occurred during the 1,500; all areas, 5,300, 5,300) winter months. EGGPLANT: Plant growth and This report reflects conditions as development have been good to very of April 1 and represents acre age good in most areas. There have been for harvest during the spring no major weather problems this year. months of April, May, June, and Cutting of regular and Italian types July. Estimated acreage for is currently underway with good harvest by growing areas is color, quality, and yield. Harvest presented in order: area, previous will continue into June. (All areas, year (1999), current year (2000). 500, 500) BELL PEPPERS: Producers in the West SNAP BEANS: The snap bean crop Central area finished fall crop enters the harvest season in mostly picking by early January and started fair to good condition. There were spring crop planting in late no freezes this winter to damage the January. Southwestern and East Coast crop. Planting is virtually growers transplanted steadily from complete. Harvest is active with January until mid-to-late March. good quality available. Yields are Cold, gusty winds caused some leaf mostly good. (Southeast 5,000, burn during late January with no 6,200; Southwest and Everglades, significant damage reported. Nearly 4,100, 4,200; other areas, 4,900, ideal weather through February and 5,100; all areas, 14,000, 15,500) March allowed plant growth and fruit development to progress very well. CABBAGE: The cabbage crop is all Central and northern producers began planted. Harvest is active in the transplanting during late February. central and northern areas. Cabbage Palmetto- Ruskin and southwestern harvest is winding down in the growers finished planting about southern areas. The crop is in fair mid-March while East Coast growers to good condition. Growth and completed planting in late March. development are normal. Head size (South west, 2,800, 2,800; Central, and quality are good. (All areas, 2,550, 2,400; other, 1,150, 1,400; 1,600, 1,000) all areas, 6,500, 6,600) SWEET CORN: Growers in the TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin producers Everglades region started spring began spring crop trans- planting crop planting during the last half during the last week of December and of December. Producers in Dade finished about mid- March. Dade County completed planting in early County planting ended in early January with winter crop picking January. Southwestern growers starting about mid-month. East Coast finished transplanting about growers finished winter crop mid-February while producers along planting by early January as oldest the southeastern coast stopped acreage started to tassel. In late planting about mid-March. Cool, dry January a cold front passing over weather provided almost ideal the Peninsula caused temperatures to conditions for plant growth and dip to freezing levels in many areas fruit setting during January, with Dade County reporting frost February, and March, but hindered during the early morning hours of some fruit sizing. Several growers January 27. The cold temperatures limited the first pickings to caused leaf burn in the East Coast vine-ripes due to the poor market region, and severely damaged a for mature greens during the winter portion of the west side of some of quarter with some plantings never the oldest fields in the Everglades harvested for the mature green area. Spring crop planting started market. (Palmetto- Ruskin, 7,350, in the Southwest at the end of 7,200; Southwest, 1,750, 2,700; East January as fall crop harvesting Coast, 1,650, 1,700; other, 1,450, ended. Nearly ideal conditions 2,300; all areas, 12,200, 13,900) during February and March allowed most plants to recover from the cold WATERMELONS: The southern crop is in with plant growth and ear fair to good condition. The central development progressing very well. crop is in good to excellent Harvesting began in the East Coast condition. Recent rains have helped area about mid-February as growers the northern crop. The crop is being around Zellwood started planting. irrigated as needed. There was no Southwestern producers finished late winter or hard early spring planting about mid-March. Everglades freezes to kill the northern crop. growers started harvesting during (West, 7,900, 3,100; North, 11,400, late March as East Coast growers 11,100; Central, 7,100, 6,700; finished picking. (Everglades, South, 8,600, 8,100; all areas, 21,500, 22,800; Central, 2,750, 35,000, 29,000) 2,600; North, 2,550, 2,400; other, 1,300, 1,000; all areas, 28,100, 28,800) UNITED STATES The prospective area for harvest California crop was affected by of 13 selected fresh market heavy rain in February and early vegetables during the spring quarter March which could delay harvest is forecast at 222,300 acres, down 3 until later in the season. percent from last year. Acreage reductions for broccoli, cabbage, TOMATOES: Intended acreage for cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, harvest is forecast at 24,900 acres, eggplant, escarole/endive, head down 7 percent from 1999. The lettuce, and tomatoes offset progress of the California crop was increased acreage of snap beans, affected by rainfall during carrots, sweet corn, and bell February. However, in the past few peppers. weeks the weather has been very warm allowing the crop to progress SNAP BEANS: Acreage for spring normally. harvest is estimated at 24,800 acres, up 6 percent from last year. WATERMELONS: Acreage intended for harvest is estimated at 60,100 CABBAGE: Intended acreage for spring acres, down 13 percent from last harvest, estimated at 6,500 acres, year. Arizona planting is on is a decrease of 13 percent from schedule. California planting was last year. New Jersey's mild winter delayed by heavy rains in February. and seasonable spring weather were This delay combined with poor market favorable for spring planting. conditions and grower losses in 1999 could reduce the spring watermelon SWEET CORN: Intended acreage for supplies in California. harvest is estimated at 42,800 acres, up 4 percent from 1999. The ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Vegetables for fresh market, prospective acreage for harvest, spring quarter by States, 2000 with comparisons Spring acreage 2000 area Selected crops Usual Harvested For for harvest and States harvest harvest as percent period 1998 1999 2000 of 1999 Acres Percent SNAP BEANS: Florida Apr-Jun 15,000 14,000 15,500 111 Georgia Apr-Jun 6,200 7,000 8,000 114 New Jersey Jun-Jul 1,300 1,300 1,300 100 South Carolina 1/ May-Aug 1,100 1,100 -- -- Total 23,600 23,400 24,800 106 CABBAGE: Florida Apr-Jun 2,300 1,600 1,000 63 Georgia Apr-Jun 4,000 4,200 4,000 95 New Jersey Jun-Jul 1,000 900 900 100 Texas Apr-Jun 1,200 800 600 75 Total 8,500 7,500 6,500 87 CARROTS: Florida 3/ Apr-Jun 1,500 -- -- -- California Apr-Jun 25,000 23,500 25,000 106 Texas Apr-Jun 1,300 1,700 700 41 Total 27,800 25,200 25,700 102 SWEET CORN: Florida Apr-Jul 28,900 28,100 28,800 102 California Apr-Jun 13,700 13,000 14,000 108 Total 42,600 41,100 42,800 104 CUCUMBERS: Florida Jan-Jun 5,600 5,300 5,300 100 South Carolina May-Aug 1,200 1,000 1,100 110 Texas Apr-Jun 600 600 400 67 Total 7,400 6,900 6,800 99 EGGPLANT: Florida Apr-Jun 700 600 500 83 ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Florida 4/ Apr-Jun 600 400 -- -- New Jersey 4/ May-Aug 400 400 -- -- Total 1,000 800 -- -- BELL PEPPERS: 2/ Florida Apr-Jun 7,300 6,500 6,600 102 Texas Apr-Jun 300 400 500 125 Total 7,600 6,900 7,100 103 TOMATOES: Florida Apr-Jul 13,100 12,200 13,200 108 Alabama 1/ Jun-Jul 300 600 -- -- Arkansas 1/ Jun-Aug 700 750 -- -- California Apr-Jun 9,000 8,000 8,200 103 South Carolina May-Jul 3,200 3,600 3,500 97 Texas 1/ Apr-Jun 1,400 1,600 -- -- Total 27,700 26,750 24,900 93 WATERMELON: Florida Apr-Jun 32,000 35,000 29,000 83 Alabama 1/ Jun-Jul 1,600 2,100 -- -- Arizona May-Jun 6,500 6,500 6,100 94 California Apr-Jun 4,100 4,200 3,000 71 Texas Apr-Jun 24,500 21,000 22,000 105 Total 68,700 68,800 60,100 87 TOTAL OF CROPS LISTED Florida 107,000 103,700 99,900 96 United States 215,600 207,950 199,200 96 TOTAL OF CROPS ESTIMATED United States 5/ 340,800 342,150 327,300 96 1/ Seasonal estimate discontinued. Estimate to be published in January 2001 annual. 2/ Includes fresh market and processing. 3/ Estimate discontinued in 1999. 4/ Not published to avoid disclosure. 5/ Total of crops listed plus broccoli, cauliflower, celery, head lettuce, cantaloups, and honeydew melons. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Return to the Table of Contents for Publications