FLORIDA WEATHER AND CROP NEWS Week ending November 2, 1997 Released 4:00 P.M. November 3, 1997 WEATHER SUMMARY: Cold fronts crossing over the State brought severe storms to many localities during the week of October 26 through November 1. Storms early in the week dumped from one and a third to about four inches over most of the Peninsula while storms at the end of the week dumped another two to five inches of rain over the same areas. Strong winds and tornadoes accompanying storms on October 31 through November 2 caused structural damage in DeSoto, Charlotte, Lee, Hendry, Glades, Palm Beach, Volusia, Hillsborough, and a few other counties. The Palmetto-Ruskin area reported spotty damage to crops caused mainly by the heavy rainfall with the passage of a tornado at the end of the week affecting some acreage. Actual damages to crops in all areas are currently being assessed. Official stations reported that rain totaled from three to about four inches through November 1, with Miami and Key West recording no rain. Overcast skies kept most temperatures one to three degrees below normal. Cooler temperatures followed the fronts with lows for the week in the 40s and 50s in northern areas, the 50s and 60s in most central and some southern Peninsula localities, and in the 60s and 70s in extreme southern areas. Orlando and Daytona Beach recorded at least one low in the 40s, while Valparaiso recorded at least one low at 39 degrees. Highs were mostly in the 70s and 80s with 90 degrees recorded at Orlando and Miami on at least one day. Another earthquake of 3.7 magnitude and centered 117 miles northwest of Panama City and 52 miles northeast of Mobile, Alabama occurred on October 26 about 6:30 pm Eastern Standard Time which shook some nearby western Panhandle localities. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly adequate in the Panhandle and northern Peninsula with scattered areas of short or surplus moisture. Central and southern Peninsula moisture is short to adequate with scattered areas of surplus moisture. Ninety-nine percent of the peanuts acreage for nuts has been harvested. Wet weather slowed cotton harvest. Soybean harvest is active. Sugarcane planting is active. All the sugarcane mills will be running by the end of this week. Farmers are making preparations to plant winter wheat for grain. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 5 0 5 0 Short 38 14 19 16 Adequate 56 71 73 68 Surplus 1 15 3 16 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Winter pasture small grain planting had been delayed as soil was too dry before weekend rain. Hay was being fed, the earliest occurrence of feeding in several years. Grass growth in the northern central area has slowed as temperatures have turned cooler. Army worms were again reported in the hay fields. Planting of winter forage was held up at week's end by the rain. In the west central area, pastures got a little too much rain. Pasture growth is slowing. Rye grass for winter pasture was being planted. Cattle are in fair to good condition throughout the State. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 0 0 0 Poor 5 5 5 0 Fair 30 55 15 25 Good 60 40 80 75 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: Most areas of the citrus belt received rain on one or more days this week. Monday and Friday the upper and central areas received day-long soakings. The lower interior and east coast got fewer hours of lighter rains. Moisture is adequate at this time with very little irrigation. Cool night-time temperatures have slowed new growth. The early types of citrus are now coloring very well on the trees. Picking crews are moving most types of early oranges, early tangerines, tangelo, white and colored grapefruit to the packing houses. Several processing plants are now open and receiving grove run fruit. Caretakers are cutting cover crops, spot spraying fruit going to the fresh markets and generally reducing most other grove care activities to minimize expenditures. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Oct 19 Oct 26 Nov 2 Navel oranges 232,000 198,000 224,000 Early & Mid oranges 416,000 844,000 1,670,000 All grapefruit 619,000 622,000 733,000 Tangerines 129,000 145,000 204,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 5,000 4,000 5,000 Tangelos 2,000 29,000 68,000 VEGETABLES: Heavy rain and wind-borne sand reduced the quality of some crops and delayed harvesting in areas affected by the strong storms. Tomato picking is getting underway in the Immokalee and East Coast areas. Vegetables marketed during the week include snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, peppers, radishes, squash, Chinese cabbage, and tomatoes. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Crop condition is very good. Planting is active. Picking began with good yield and quality. Volume is low but increasing seasonally. Irrigating and spraying continue. East Coast--The crop is in mostly good condition. Harvesting is underway with mostly good quality and color. Volume is light. Cultivating and fertilizing continue. Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting continues at a steady pace. Picking is getting underway. Everglades, Zellwood--Harvesting is active with a light but seasonally increasing volume available. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Most planting is finished for the fall crop. CABBAGE: Dade--Planting on schedule, with plant growth good. West Central--Planting steady. Crop condition is fair. Growth and development slow to normal. Central, Hastings--Planting active. Crop condition good. Growth and development normal. First harvest of early plantings in the central area expected to start this week. CARROTS: Zellwood--Planting remains active with digging expected to begin about mid-December. SWEET CORN: Zellwood, North--Harvesting continues at an active pace although some growers have finished picking. Quality and yield are good. Good supplies are expected through mid- November. Some plants were blown over or lodged by strong winds accompanying storms. Everglades--Picking is underway with good quality available. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Youngest plants are starting to spike through the ground. Ground preparation, planting, cultivating, and fertilizing are active. Dade-- The oldest plants are making good stands. Planting is on schedule. Seed corn acreage is in good condition. Southwest--Condition is good. Planting remains active. Picking is expected to begin in early to mid-November. CUCUMBERS: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting continues. Harvesting is steady with good quality and yield. East Coast--Oldest fields are in good condition. Plant growth, bloom ing, fruit setting, and fruit sizing are good. Harvesting is gaining momentum with very good quality and color available. Picking of new blocks is yielding mostly super select grades. Thinning remains active. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condi tion. Pickle picking continues with fair to good quality available. Zellwood--Pickle harvesting continues. Supplies are available through early December. Dade--Pickle picking remains active. Quality and yield are good. Planting continues with workers irrigating as needed. EGGPLANT: East Coast--The crop is in good condition with plant growth, blooming, fruit setting, and sizing all rated good. Cutting of mostly fancy grades remains active. Volume is light. Crown picks are providing very good quality and color. Planting, staking and tying continue. West Central--Condition is fair to good. Cutting continues at steady pace. Quality is fair to good with mostly medium and some large sizes available. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting is slowing. Harvesting is gaining momentum with good quality and yield being realized. Dade-- Crop condition is good. Blooms and small fruit are appearing in oldest fields. Planting is on schedule with workers irrigating as needed. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Zellwood--Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality is good. Everglades--Harvesting is getting underway this week. LETTUCE: Zellwood--Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality is good. Everglades--Romaine and leaf harvesting is underway with picking of head varieties to start this week. OKRA: Dade--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting of a low volume from the summer planting continues with picking of the winter crop to start in about two to three weeks. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting continues. Harvesting is gaining momentum with good quality available. Yield is fair to good. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Picking of green Bells is yielding a moderate to light volume with crown picks producing good quality of double extra large, extra large, and large sizes. Harvesting of some specialty and red Bell varieties is yielding good quality, color, and sizes. Transplanting, staking, and stringing continue. West Central-- Crop condition is fair to good. Picking of Bell varieties started with fair to good quality and variable sizes available. Color is good. POTATOES: Southwest--Planting steady. Southeast--Planting starting. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging continues to increase. Quality is good to very good. SQUASH: West Central--The crop remains in fair to good condition. Planting and harvesting are steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Color is good. Southwest--Crop condi tion is rated good. Planting and harvesting are steady. Quality and yield are good. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Plant growth is very good with good fruit setting and sizing. Harvesting of a light to moderate volume is active. Fancy and medium sizes of good quality and color are available. Dade--Young acreage is in very good condition. Picking is underway with good quality and yield. Volume is low but will increase as more acreage reaches maturity. Planting, irrigating, and spraying are active. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition varies from poor to good according to the amount of storm damage received. Transplanting is nearing the end. Dade--Transplanting of U-Pic acreage is starting. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Cooler temperatures continue to aid the setting of fruit. Fruit sizing is good. Picking is underway with good quality of mostly extra large and large sizes available. Volume is low but will increase over the next few weeks. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop condition is mostly fair but ranges from poor to good. Heavy downpours and wind- borne sand reduced quality in some fields. Other fields escaped damage from the storms. Rainfall slowed some harvesting. Fruit quality is fair to good with fair sizes available. Volume is low. East Coast--The crop is in mostly good condition. Harvesting is underway with a light volume of extra large to large sizes avail able. Quality ranges from fair to mostly good. Transplanting continues. Dade--Crop condition is rated very good. Planting is on schedule with harvesting of the oldest acreage to start by early December. Quincy--Rain and wet fields curtailed picking at the beginning of the week. Harvest is declining seasonally. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Picking is steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes and color are fair. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting of small acreage continues at a steady pace. Picking will start within the next two to three weeks. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition remains good. Planting of a small acreage is steady. Picking of a light volume is getting underway. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair to good. Picking is slowly gaining momentum. Quality and sizes are fair. Color is fair to good with some rain checks spotted. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Cutting continues at a steady pace. Quality and color are fair to good. Sizes are variable with a fair to good volume available. Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality is good.