HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending December 22, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M. December 23, 1996 WEATHER SUMMARY: Winter cold arrived in all areas during the week of December 15 through 21. Snow fell in some Panhandle and northern localities. The lowest temperature readings were in the 20s, 30s, and 40s with Key West's low in the 50s. Average low temperatures over the northern and most central areas were in the 30s and 40s and in the 50s over the southern Peninsula. Highest temperatures reached into the 60s and 70s in most localities. Temperatures were 3 to 11 degrees below normal for the week. Rain totaled from none to over an inch and a half. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly adequate in the Panhandle and northern Peninsula with scattered areas of surplus moisture. The southern Peninsula moisture is short to adequate with scattered areas of very short moisture. Cotton harvest is virtually complete. Sugarcane harvest and planting are active. Growers are taking soil samples and preparing fields for spring crops. Tobacco bed construction is underway. Pine tree planting is active. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Small grain pasture was doing well before the frost at the end of the week. The frost and freezing temperatures killed new growth locally in some northern areas. Winter annual small grain was making good growth but not furnishing grazing yet in the central area. Feeding was active in northern and central areas to supplement the declined condition of permanent pasture. CITRUS: Friday morning December 20 was very cold with temperatures in the low thirties for the upper interior counties. There were a few readings below thirty in cold pockets and low lands. There was no damage reported. There was too much wind for frost to form in most areas. Cold temperatures the past two weeks have been very beneficial to citrus trees to slow down growth rates and induce quasi-dormancy which helps protect trees from freezing weather should it arrive. Harvest of early and midseason oranges continues very active with most going to processors. Movement of all seedless grapefruit is most active on the lower east coast with considerable quantities going to fresh markets. Tangerine and tangelos are going to fresh markets for the Christmas trade. Caretakers are discing and mowing cover crops. Most growers have placed heaters and banked young trees in cold pockets. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Dec 8 Dec 15 Dec 22 Navel oranges 691,000 699,000 508,000 Early and Mid oranges 8,364,000 8,347,000 9,614,000 All grapefruit 942,000 1,202,000 1,152,000 Tangerines 309,000 347,000 501,000 Tangelos 238,000 368,000 343,000 VEGETABLES: Most southern Peninsula crops escaped damage from the cold weather due to the short duration of near freezing temperatures. Some Plant City strawberry growers ran overhead sprinklers to protect plants and immature berries from harm. Hard frosts brought an end to most crop picking in northern areas. Harvesting in areas around Webster and Center Hill is nearing the end. Major vegetables available: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, sweet corn, snap beans, cabbage, strawberries, radishes, carrots, celery, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, and parsley. SNAP BEANS: Dade, Everglades--The crop is in very good condition. Young plants are making good vines. Planting continued. Picking is active. Yield and quality are good. Volume available is increasing. East Coast--Picking active. Southwest-- Condition is good. Planting remains steady. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Yield remains fair to good. West Central--Condition is rated fair. Picking is winding down. Quality is fair to good. CABBAGE: Hastings--Planting steady. Crop in good condition. Growth and development normal. Central--Harvest active. West Central--Harvest steady. Quality and size fair to good. Color good. Yield increasing but slowly. Planting winding down. Crop in fair to good condition. Growth and development normal. Cutting a little slow this week. Dade-- Harvest starting. Growth and development good. Fields look good. Quality good. Yields normal. CARROTS: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting is active. An increasing supply is available. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Picking remains active with some fall crop fields completely harvested. Supply will increase in January when younger plantings mature. East Coast-- Harvesting slowly increasing. Dade--Fields near the tassel stage are in very good condition. Planting is nearly finished. Picking remains slow. Supply will increase by mid to late January when more acreage reaches maturity. Zellwood--Picking is nearing the end as growers finish fall crop harvests. Southwest-- Condition is good. Planting is active. Fall crop picking is finished. CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Temperatures did not fall low enough to cause major damage. Picking continued. Southwest-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is winding down. Harvest is steady with a light volume available. Quality is fair to good. West Central--Picking is nearly completed. U-Pic harvesting remains active. Quality is fair. Dade--Pickle condition is rated very good. Winter crop planting is complete with spring crop plantings scheduled for a later date. Picking remains active with good quality available. Yield is good. Zellwood--Pickle harvest nearing the end. Growers harvested most fruit to avoid damage from the cold weather. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Cutting active. Southwest-- Condition remains fair to good. Planting is very light with most activity completed. Picking remains steady with fair to good quality available. Dade--Harvesting continued with a good volume available. Quality and yield are good. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades--Harvesting continued. Most acreage escaped damage from the cold temperatures. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting continued with Iceberg, Boston, Bibb, Romaine, and leaf varieties available. Most fields escaped cold temperature damage. OKRA: Dade--Crop condition continued to improve. Picking continued with fair quality available. Yield is light. PEPPERS: Southwest--Young fields are in good condition. Older acreage is in fair condition. Planting remains steady. Harvest is steady with good quality and sizes available. East Coast--Picking continued. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair to good. Some harvesting slowed as cold weather arrived with most activity steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are mostly medium with some large sizes available. POTATOES: Southwest--Planting winding down. Crop condition good. Growth and development good. Dade-- Planting winding down. Crop looks very good at this time. Soil moisture is just right in potato fields as they had a light shower which helped. West Central--Planting steady. Crop condition good. Growth and development normal. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging continued. SQUASH: Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting is steady. Picking remains steady with good quality available. Yield is good. East Coast--Harvesting continued. Dade-- Condition is good. Picking slow but increasing with good quality available. Yield is good. Supplies are increasing with a good volume available for the rest of the season. West Central-- Crop condition is fair. Most picking is finished. U-Pic harvesting is active. Quality and color are fair. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Virtually all acreage escaped harm from the cold temperatures. Some producers ran overhead sprinklers to protect plants and immature berries. Growers picked most of the marketable fruit prior to the cold. Palmetto- Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is expected to begin within the next 7 to 10 days. Dade--U-Pic harvesting is underway. Supplies are light but are expected to increase by early January. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition ranges fair to good with younger acreage in good condition. Planting remains active. Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. First and second picks are yielding mostly extra large and large sizes. The third and fourth pickings are producing large and mostly medium sizes. East Coast--Harvesting active. Dade--The condition is rated excellent. Planting continued as scheduled. Workers laid irrigation pipes in fields prior to the cold snap with temperatures only dipping into the 40s. Picking is slowly increasing with low volume to increase by early January. Quality is excellent. Yield is good. Pack-out is good with less fruit scarred by earlier winds than anticipated. Sizes are mostly extra large and large with some mediums available. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition remains fair. Ninety-eight percent of growers have finished the fall crop harvesting with the rest nearly completed during the week. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting of a small acreage is steady. Harvesting is active with good quality available. Yield is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair. Planting of a limited acreage continued. Harvesting is mostly steady with some activity slowing due to the cold weather. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are normal. Color is good. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting and picking are steady. Quality and yield are good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Picking is virtually finished with a small volume harvested during the week. Quality and sizes are fair to good. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Crop condition remains fair to good. Picking is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Harvest is nearing the end. Quality is fair. Sizes are small and medium.