FLORIDA WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending December 7, 1997 Released 4:00 P.M. December 8, 1997 WEATHER SUMMARY: For most areas the weather during the week of November 30 through December 6 consisted of mostly mild temperatures and partly cloudy skies. The tail of a low pressure system on Sunday, November 30 brought rain to many southern localities with Dade County reporting a half inch accumulation and with amounts ranging from one quarter to about one inch along the Gulf Coast and adjoining inland areas from Charlotte to Levy and Marion counties. An arctic cold front passing over the State again brought rain to many localities on Friday and Saturday, December 5 and 6, followed by cold temperatures. Dade County reported that another four inches accumulated from the end of week rains. Palmetto-Ruskin reported one and a half to two inches for the entire period. The weather service totals for the entire week showed from about two to over three and a half inches of rain for the central and southern stations, but only about two tenths for Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, and no rain for Valparaiso. Temperatures through Saturday averaged mostly one to two degrees below normal with minimums in the 30s and 40s except for minimums in the 50s and 60s at Miami and Key West. Lows averaged in the 40s, 50s, and 60s while highs averaged in the 60s and 70s. On Sunday morning, December 7, low temperatures were in the mid to upper 20s in the Panhandle and north, mid to upper 20s across the north central Peninsula, and lower to upper 30s in east central localities. High clouds kept temperatures in the west central and most of the southern Peninsula in the 40s. Lows along the southeast coast and extreme southern areas ranged from 50 to 60. Crestview had a low of 22 degrees; Tallahassee and Ocala, 26; and Key West, 60 degrees. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is adequate in the Panhandle with areas of surplus moisture. Northern and Central Peninsula moisture is adequate to surplus with scattered areas of short moisture. Southern Peninsula moisture is adequate. Cotton harvest is active. Sugarcane planting and harvest are active. Winter wheat planting is winding down. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 0 0 0 Short 12 7 16 5 Adequate 85 78 81 71 Surplus 3 15 3 24 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture condition improved as the winter fall-planted small grains did well in the north, began to grow in the central area, and came up in the west central area. More ranchers started feeding hay to cattle as permanent pasture quality decreased. Pastures in the central and west central areas were reported a little wet from recent heavy rains. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 5 5 0 0 Fair 70 45 45 15 Good 25 40 55 75 Excellent 0 10 0 10 CITRUS: Mild weather the first of the week was followed by day long rains on Thursday and the coldest temperatures of the season Friday and Saturday nights. There were temperatures in the upper thirties and lower forties throughout the northern part of the citrus belt. The cold temperatures will help reduce tree growth and make the trees less susceptible to freezing temperatures should they arrive this season. Harvest of early and midseason oranges for both fresh and processing was very active this week. Virtually all processing plants are open and several are running around the clock. Pickers are moving white and colored grapefruit, tangerines and tangelo for holiday markets. Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops in all areas prior to harvesting. Very little spraying and fertilizing going on at this time. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Nov 23 Nov 30 Dec 7 Navel oranges 371,000 244,000 628,000 Early & Mid oranges 6,468,000 6,447,000 7,785,000 All grapefruit 818,000 650,000 1,016,000 Tangerines 258,000 245,000 249,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 1,000 1,000 1,000 Tangelos 109,000 116,000 228,000 VEGETABLES: The rain slowed some harvesting with most activity in northern areas finished. The cold temperatures caused very little damage to most crops. However, some potatoes in Dade County were flooded with some acreage lost. Digging of carrots around Lake Apopka is underway with the cutting of celery to begin around Lake Okeechobee over the next few days . Vegetables marketed during the week include snap beans, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, radishes, squash, Chinese cabbage, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Planting continues. Harvesting remains active with good quality and volume available. Yield is very good. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Plant growth is mostly good. Machine and hand picking are yielding a light volume of good quality and excellent color. Workers are cultivating and fertilizing young acreage. Southwest--Condition remains good. Harvesting and planting continue at a steady pace. Quality is good. West Central-- Harvesting is declining rapidly with fair quality and variable sizes available. The rains and low temperatures virtually finished off plants hurt by earlier bad weather. Everglades--Picking continues with a light volume available. Zellwood--Growers finished harvesting of the fall crop. CABBAGE: Dade--Cabbage fields look good and planting continues on a weekly schedule. Harvest to start in mid-December. West Central--Planting is steady. Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is steady. Central, Hastings--Planting is active. Crop condition is normal. Growth and development are normal. Harvest in the central area is increasing. Quality is mostly good. Hastings harvest is starting. Everglades--Harvest is getting underway. CARROTS: Zellwood--Crop condition is very good. Digging began. Volume is light as the season starts. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting continues. Quality is generally good. Yields are normal. Zellwood--Harvest is nearing the end with some activity delayed by rain. Yields are very good. Quality is mostly good. Southwest--Condition is good. Harvesting continues. Yield and quality remain good. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Planting remains active with good germination. Workers continue to cultivate and apply side dressings of fertilizer. Dade--Crop condition is good for older acreage. The rain at the end of the week flooded some fields containing very young plants with most plants recovering. Planting remains active. Seed corn fields are starting to tassel. CUCUMBERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting is nearing the end. Picking is slowing. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Some picking was delayed by the end of week rain. Growers continue to market a moderate volume of good quality and color with super select, select, and small sizes, and a few cartons available. Grade-out is light to moderate. West Central--Condition is rated fair. Harvesting is active but slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Dade--Pickle harvesting continues with good quality available. Yield is good. Young acreage is fair with strong winds and other adverse weather slowing some plant growth. Zellwood-- Pickle picking is progressing normally. Quality is generally good. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. First cuts are providing very good to excellent quality and color. Sizes available include mostly fancy, a few large fancy, and very few choice. Volume is light. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady but slowing seasonally. Quality remains fair to good with variable sizes available. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting is slowing. Harvesting of a light volume continues. Quality is fair to good with a light amount not meeting grade due to scarring. Dade--Condition remains good. Harvesting is expected to begin within the next few days. North--Harvesting is active with generally good quality available. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Zellwood--Harvesting is active. Yield and quality are mostly good. Everglades--Harvesting continues at an active pace. Quality is good. LETTUCE: Everglades--Romaine harvesting is quite active. Picking of head varieties is gaining momentum with quality rated good. Picking of leaf varieties continues. Zellwood--Picking is active. Quality is mostly good. OKRA: Dade--Picking remains active. Volume is low. Quality remains good. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is good. Harvesting of both Bell and specialty varieties is active. Yield and quality remain good. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting remains active with growers to continue until freezing weather arrives. Quality is fair to good with variable sizes available. Volume is declining seasonally. East Coast--Crop condition remains good. Crown picks of green Bells are yielding very good to good quality of double extra large, extra large, large, and a few jumbo sizes. Crown pick yields are very good. Other picks are producing good quality and sizes. Volume is mostly moderate. Red Bell picking is producing a light volume of good to very good quality. Transplanting continues. POTATOES: Southwest--Crop is in good condition. Planting is steady. Growth and development are normal. Dade--Potato plantings are on schedule and fields are up to good stands. West Central--Crop is in good condition. Planting is gaining. Growth and development are normal. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting continues. Quality is good. SQUASH: Southwest--Condition remains good. Picking and planting are progressing steadily. Quality is fair with some scarred fruit not meeting grade. East Coast--Crop condition is generally good. Fruit set and sizing are increasing. Harvesting of a mostly light volume continues with fancy and medium grades available. West Central--Condition is fair. Harvesting is active but slowing seasonally. Fair to good quality is available. Sizes and color are fair to good. Planting for spring harvesting is gaining momentum. Dade--Condition is good. Harvesting continues with a good volume available. Quality and yield are good. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--The rain caused virtually no harm to plants with the cool temperatures increasing the sugar content of berries. Picking is active but running about one week behind usual due to the planting of more acreage to later maturing varieties. Volume is very low but is expected to increase over the next four to five weeks. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is good. Picking continues to gain momentum although some activity was slowed by the rainfall. Quality is fair to good. Volume is low. Dade--Plants for the U-Pic market are making good stands. Harvesting is expected to begin in late December or early January. TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition remains good. Fruit setting is very good. Fruit sizing is good. Rainfall and a short-lived labor strike delayed some harvesting early in the week with most activity proceeding at a steady pace. Volume continues to increase with sizes running extra large to large from first picks. Second picks are yielding a mix of extra large, large, and medium sizes. Quality and yield are good. Transplanting is active. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Picking of a heavy volume is active but activity is declining seasonally. Fruit quality is mostly fair to good. Sizes are mostly small and medium with some larger sizes available. Yield and packout are below normal. Growers continue to get land ready for spring crop transplanting with activity expected to start in January. East Coast--Condition is rated mostly good. Fruit setting and sizing are increasing on the second hands. Picking was halted by the late week rainfall. The crown through third picks are producing a moderate volume of very good quality and sizes. Some yields are increasing. Dade--The crop remains in very good condition. Harvesting is active with growers making light picks in a few fields. Quality, size, and packout are good. Volume is very light with poundage expected to increase in January. Planting continues with activity to proceed into late December. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting is steady with fair to good quality and good sizes available. Southwest--Condition is good. Planting and harvesting continue. Yield and quality are good. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting and harvesting continue. Yield and quality are good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is mostly steady but declining seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Color is good. WATERMELONS: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Cutting is beginning to slow seasonally. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Cutting remains active but is nearly finished. Quality is fair to good with small and medium sizes available. Volume is very low.