FLORIDA WEEKLY WEATHER - CROP NEWS Week ending March 8, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. March 9, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Weather during the week of March 1 through 7 was mostly drier with cool temperatures. Rainfall totaled from traces at Tampa and Daytona Beach to an inch or more at West Palm Beach and Valparaiso. Temperatures mostly averaged three degrees below normal. Daytime highs were in the 60s and 70s with several stations recording at least one high in the 80s. Lows for the week averaged in the 40s, 50s, and 60s with Jackson ville and Valparaiso recording at least one low in the 30s. Light frost occurred in some northern and north central localities. Storms brought heavy rains and damaging winds to most localities and spawned several tornadoes on March 8 and 9 with damage to crops currently being assessed. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the southern Peninsula is mostly adequate with the rest of the State mostly surplus. Flooding is a problem in many areas of the State. Sugarcane growth is normal. Sugarcane harvest is delayed by wet fields. Some tobacco plant beds have been flooded. Wet fields will delay the start of the tobacco transplanting season in most areas. Corn planting will start as soon as farmers can get into the fields. Field preparations for spring planted crops are being delayed by wet conditions. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 0 0 0 Short 0 0 0 0 Adequate 39 43 31 40 Surplus 61 57 69 60 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pastures throughout the State were mostly poor to good. Many areas had pastures under water. Cooler than normal temperatures, some near freezing, reigned in pasture growth in the north. In the north, a federal disaster was declared due to the flooding. Where not flooded, however, pastures greened up. Flood waters had started to recede at end of the week, but heavy rains swept through the Peninsula over the weekend. In the West Central area, supplemental feeding of cattle was very active due to flooded pastures. In the southwest, there was some burning off of heavy foliage, weather permitting. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 40 35 20 25 Fair 45 40 50 30 Good 15 25 30 40 Excellent 0 0 0 5 CITRUS: This was a mild, but cool week until Sunday night when violent thunderstorms crossed the citrus belt. Moisture continues adequate to surplus in virtually all citrus counties. New growth is showing on most trees with bloom buds from pin head to full open flowers in all areas. Harvest of early and mid oranges is nearly over as supplies are limited. Movement of Valencia oranges is increasing with many crops nearing peak maturity. A few growers are opting to harvest their late type oranges early to minimize loss from droppage. Movement of grapefruit is increasing as labor becomes available from the nearly completed early orange harvest. Temple and Honey tangerine movement is still active in most areas for fresh and process use. Caretakers are cutting and or herbiciding cover crops before they grow out of control. Hedging and topping have been reported in all areas. Growers are digging out ditches and working on ditch banks to move any excess water that may arrive this spring. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Feb 22 Mar 1 Mar 8 Navel oranges 10,000 10,000 2,000 Early & Mid oranges 4,463,000 4,530,000 2,271,000 Valencia oranges 948,000 1,554,000 2,860,000 All grapefruit 1,757,000 2,201,000 2,920,000 Tangerines 3,000 6,000 4,000 Honey tangerines 96,000 155,000 179,000 Temples 214,000 171,000 192,000 Tangelos 11,000 5,000 2,000 VEGETABLES: Light frost in some northern and north central localities caused only minimal damage. Clearer weather acceler ated fieldwork. Vegetables harvested during the week include snap beans, cabbage, carrots, celery, sweet corn, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, strawberries, and tomatoes. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Harvesting continues. Quality is good. Volume is increasing with supply near peak level. Planting is slowing seasonally. East Coast--Condition is fair to good with plants recovering slowly from the recent wind and rain damage. Picking is active. Volume is light. Quality is fair to mostly good. Color is good. Gradeout is light. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting remains steady with fair quality available. Planting is active. Everglades--Crop condition is good. Picking is expected to begin soon with good yield prospects. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting continues at a slow pace. CABBAGE: Dade--Cabbage is being cut on a weekly schedule with good quality and average yields. West Central--Crop condition is poor to fair. Growth and development are slow to normal. Harvest is steady. Heads have fair quality and color. Size is small to medium. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is starting. Central, Hastings--Fields are wet. Some damage to cabbage plants from the wet conditions. Harvest is being delayed. Growth and development are slow. CARROTS: Zellwood--Digging continues. Yield remains below usual. Quality is generally good. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting is active with yields reduced by recent storm damage. Recent hail damaged plants in some fields with some stalks to be cut back to hearts. SWEET CORN: Dade--Harvesting remains active. Quality is fair. Yield is good. Supply will remain steady over the next three to four weeks. East Coast--The crop is in mostly good condition. Pulling continues. Supply is light. Some plants show the effects of recent wind damage. Everglades--Planting is active. Light harvesting continues with yields below normal. Volume is expected to increase over the next three weeks. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Steady planting continues. CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Condition is variable. Some plants show recent wind damage. Fruit sizing is slow. Planting is steady with mostly good germination. Workers are thinning young fields. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is finished. Picking is expected to start over the next two weeks. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Planting is starting to gain momentum. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Most plant growth and fruit develop ment is slow. Cutting is active. Quality is fair to good. Volume is light with fancy and choice grades available. Planting of a small acreage is active. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Steady harvesting of light supplies continues. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Cutting remains active. Yield is increasing. Quality continues to improve. West Central--Condition is fair. Cutting is getting underway. Quality is fair. Sizes are small to medium. Supply is light. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades--Plant growth is good. Harvesting of increasing supplies is gaining momentum. Quality is generally good. Zellwood--Condition continues to improve. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is increasing with mostly good quality available. Recent hail damaged some acreage. Zellwood--Condition continues to improve with clearer weather. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Picking is steady. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--Condition is variable with plants in unprotected areas showing the effects of recent wind and rain damage. Crown picks of green Bells are yielding good quality with growers also making numerous limb picks. Volume is light to moderate. Producers are harvesting a light volume of red and yellow Bells and specialty varieties. Workers are spraying as needed and injecting fertilizer after the first and second picks. Planting continues. West Central--Clearer weather aided plant growth. Planting is mostly steady. Sumter County--Transplanting is nearing the end. Light frost caused virtually no damage. POTATOES: Southwest--Crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Potato harvest is steady. Potatoes harvested are mostly of good quality. Some damage from excess rains. Dade--Weather is better and crop looks good as it responds to the good weather. Potatoes are being harvested on a weekly schedule. Harvest is gaining with good quality but size is off a little. West Central--Crop is in poor to fair condition. Growth and development are slow to normal. Hastings--Wet fields are a problem in the north central and Hastings areas with scattered areas of flooding. Potato planting is winding down. In some fields the potato crop is in good condition. Growth and development are slow due to the cooler than normal temperatures. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting continues with generally good quality available. SQUASH: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is winding down. Picking is steady with good quality available. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to good. Cooler temperatures are slowing plant growth and fruit development. Harvesting of variable quality is active. Supplies are light. Workers are cleaning fields completely harvested. Dade--Crop condition is variable. Plants in low areas are dying. Harvesting continues. Most yields are low. Quality is fair. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Better weather continues to boost berry development. Winds helped dry fields. Picking of an increasing volume continues. Quality is improving. Palmetto- Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is fair with medium to large sizes available. Dade--U-Pic acreage is yielding good quality. TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Plant growth is good with most recovering well from recent weather damage. Picking is steady with fair to good quality available. Yield is below normal. First picks are producing 5x6 and 6x6 sizes. Second and third picks are yielding mostly 6x6 and 6x7 sizes. Fourth and later picks are providing mostly 6x7 sizes. Gradeout is above normal mostly due to scarred fruit. Volume is expected to increase over the next two to three weeks. East Coast- -Condition remains fair to good. Fruit maturation is slow due to cooler temperatures. Yield prospects are lower for some acreage sustaining earlier wind and rain damage. Harvesting continues with mostly good quality available. Volume is steady. Transplanting continues. Dade--Crop condition is fair. Picking is active. Yield is low. Quality is good after close grading. First and second picks are yielding 6x6 to 5x6 sizes. Third and later picks are producing 6x6 and 6x7 sizes. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition continues to improve. Planting is active but slowing seasonally. Fruit is setting slowly with some very small fruit showing in oldest fields. Harvesting is expected to start in four to five weeks. Sumter County--Transplanting is nearing the end. Light frost caused virtually no damage. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair. Planting is finished. Picking continues. Quality is mostly fair to good. Sizes and color are fair. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is completed. Picking remains steady. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is variable and ranges from poor to mostly good. Planting is active. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Most plants are recovering well from recent wind and rain damage. Planting is winding down. West Central--Condition is fair. Planting is slowing seasonally. Sumter County--Transplanting is nearly completed. Light frost caused virtually no damage.