FLORIDA WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending November 9, 1997 Released 4:00 P.M. November 10, 1997 WEATHER SUMMARY: Cooler, drier weather arrived during the week of November 2 through 8. Temperatures for the week averaged three to six degrees below normal. Low temperatures were mostly in the 40s and 50s at the official stations with Miami recording at least one low at 59 degrees. The average low for the week was set at 70 in Key West, 65 in Miami, and 61 at West Palm Beach with all other official stations averaging lows in the 40s and 50s. Highs averaged mostly in the 60s and 70s although some daytime highs reached into the 80s at Orlando, Key West, Miami, and West Palm Beach. Rainfall totaled from traces to a third of an inch. A third earthquake of 3.0 magnitude and centered 117 miles northwest of Panama City and 52 miles northeast of Mobile, Alabama, occurred on October 28 about 4:00 am Eastern Standard Time which may have been felt in some nearby western Panhandle localities. For the month of October, the official stations recorded from about three-fourths inch of rain at West Palm Beach to about five and a half inches at Daytona Beach. Temperatures averaged within a degree of normal. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly adequate in the Panhandle and northern central Peninsula with scattered areas of surplus moisture. Southern Peninsula moisture is short to adequate. Peanut harvest is complete in Florida. Wet weather slowed cotton harvest. Soybean harvest is winding down. Sugarcane planting and harvesting is active. Farmers are planting winter wheat for grain. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 0 0 0 Short 14 12 16 13 Adequate 71 72 68 74 Surplus 15 16 16 13 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Earlier seeded winter pasture in the north and central areas was beginning to emerge. Ranchers in many areas were seeding more winter pasture now that some rain fell, but excessive rain and poor field conditions kept others from planting. More cattlemen in the north were starting to feed hay as the quality of the pasture declined seasonally. Cattle and calves throughout the State were in generally good condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 5 5 0 0 Fair 55 30 25 25 Good 40 55 75 65 Excellent 0 10 0 10 CITRUS: There were rain showers in most of Florida's citrus belt this week. Several growers and caretakers have been running their low volume irrigation in groves where fruit is destined for the fresh markets. A lot of early fruit continues to show advanced on-tree color break. Cool nighttime temperatures have slowed new growth in all areas. Movement of all types of early fruit is ahead of last year at the same time which reflects the advanced maturity this season. Early oranges are now being picked for processing as most of this State's juice plants are now open and taking grove-run fruit. Virtually all of the fresh fruit packing houses are shipping oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, tangelos, and K-Earlys. Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops prior to harvest and for fire protection. A few growers are applying fertilizers and soil amendments. Dead tree removal and pushing of unproductive groves continues in all areas. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Oct 26 Nov 2 Nov 9 Navel oranges 198,000 224,000 217,000 Early & Mid oranges 844,000 1,670,000 2,860,000 All grapefruit 622,000 733,000 669,000 Tangerines 145,000 204,000 219,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 4,000 5,000 3,000 Tangelos 29,000 68,000 71,000 VEGETABLES: The cooler, drier weather aided plants in recovering from the recent abundant rain and strong winds; and boosted the setting of fruit for many crops. Windy conditions are increasing the need for irrigation of fields as topsoil becomes dry. Vegetables marketed during the week include snap beans, cabbage, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, peppers, radishes, squash, Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Dade--The crop is in excellent condition. Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality and yield are very good. Planting continues. North, East Coast--Condition is mostly good. Harvesting is active. Supply is light. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting remains steady. Harvesting is starting with good quality and yield. Everglades, Zellwood--Picking continues. West Central--Condition is fair. Picking began with fair quality and color available. Growers halted some harvesting due to poor quality from the effects of recent adverse weather. Sizes are variable. CABBAGE: Dade--Planting on schedule. Young fields look good with cool weather this week helping heads. West Central--Planting steady. Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development normal. Central, Hastings--Planting active. Crop condition good. Growth and development normal. First harvest of early plantings in central area starting. CARROTS: Zellwood--Planting continues. Harvesting is expected to start in about six weeks. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting continues. Zellwood, North--Harvesting is active. Supplies are decreasing seasonally. Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting is steady. Picking is expected to start within the next two weeks. East Coast- -Condition remains good. Planting continues. Dade--Condition is good. Planting remains active. CUCUMBERS: Southwest--Condition is good. Planting is winding down. Picking remains steady with good quality and yield available. East Coast, North--Crop condition is good. Supplies are increasing seasonally. Quality is mostly good. West Central--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting of waxed types is gaining momentum. Quality and color are fair to good with super select and select grades available. Pickle harvesting is steady with fair to good quality available. Sumter County--Harvesting is active. Zellwood--Pickle picking remains active. Dade--Pickle picking continues to increase seasonally. Quality and yield remain good. Planting is active. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. Harvesting and planting continue. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. The cooler weather is slowing some growth and development. Cutting remains active with fancy and some choice grades of good quality and color being harvested. Southwest-- Condition is good. Planting is decreasing seasonally. Harvesting is steady with a light volume of good quality available. Dade--The crop is in good condition with oldest plants starting to set fruit. Planting continues. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting is active with seasonally increasing supplies available. LETTUCE: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting is increasing seasonally. OKRA: Dade--Production prospects for young fields are below usual. The harvesting of oldest acreage is nearing the end with light supplies available. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is good. Planting and picking are steady. Quality and yield are good. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting of both red and green Bells is increasing seasonally with mostly large and some extra large sizes of fair to good quality available. Color is good. East Coast, North--Harvesting is active with good quality available. POTATOES: Southwest--Crop condition good. Planting steady. Growth and development good. Southeast--Potato season underway with planting active. West Central--Planting is starting. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting is increasing seasonally. SQUASH: West Central--Condition is rated fair to good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Picking remains steady with fair to good quality of good color available. Sizes are variable. Southwest--Condition is good. Planting remains steady. Picking is steady with good quality available. Yield is good. East Coast-- Condition is mostly good. Picking continues with supplies increasing seasonally. Quality is mostly good. Dade--Young fields are in very good condition. Planting continues. Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality and yield are good. Sumter County-- Picking is active. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition with the cooler, drier weather aiding recovery from the recent adverse weather damages. Transplanting is slowing. Dade--U-Pic planting is nearly finished. Oldest plants are setting berries of good quality. TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Fruit set is very good due to the cooler temperatures. Some older plants show some fruit with scarring caused by the recent adverse weather. Younger plants show no damage. Planting continues. Some growers began to harvest the second planting. Quality and yield are good with a good supply of extra large and large sizes available. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Plants have set virtually all fruit. Fruit sizing is fair. Picking continues at a steady pace with mostly large and some extra large and medium sizes available. Quality is fair. Volume is below normal. East Coast--Condition is mostly good. Planting and harvesting are active. Supplies are increasing seasonally. Quality is mostly good. Dade--Condition is rated good. Fruit on oldest plants is beginning to gain size. Planting is active. Picking for commercial markets is expected to begin in four to five weeks. Some pinks are starting to show on U-Pic acreage. Quincy--Harvesting is nearing the end with growers currently making the third or more pick. The recent cooler weather caused fruit not to gain size well. Picking is expected to continue over the next one to two weeks. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is fair to good with normal sizes available. Volume is increasing seasonally. Southwest--Condition is good. Planting of a limited acreage is active. Picking is expected to begin over the next two weeks. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is rated good. Planting is steady. Picking is gaining momentum. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition with some rain spots appearing on a limited amount of fruit. Harvesting is increasing seasonally. Quality is fair to good with normal sizes available. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition remains fair to good. Harvesting is steady. Color and quality are fair to good with variable sizes available. Southwest--Condition is good. Picking of a small acreage is steady with activity to increase when more fields reach maturity. Quality is good. Sumter County--Growers are preparing land for spring crop planting.