fl-crop-weather Week ending March 21, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. March 22, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: A cold front crossed the Peninsula at the beginning of the week of March 14 through 20. Another front crossed the western Panhandle at the end of the week and brought some rain to the Peninsula on Sunday, March 21. Weekly rainfall through the 20th ranged from traces to about two inches. Temperatures cooled down following the first front with most minimum lows in the 30s and 40s. Daytime temperatures warmed into the 70s and 80s later in the period while nighttime lows averaged in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Temperatures at the major stations averaged two to four degrees above normal for the week. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the Panhandle is adequate with scattered areas of short moisture. Peninsula topsoil moisture is very short to short with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Tobacco growers are taking care of plant beds. Corn planting is starting. Spring crop land preparations are active. Sugarcane mills are starting to close for the season. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 34 19 15 7 Short 45 60 49 70 Adequate 21 21 36 23 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: In the northern counties, the demand for hay was still strong and supplies are getting low. In the central area, recent rains broke the drought but soil moisture was still short and more rain was needed to sustain spring permanent pasture growth. Low lying areas received frost. Some ranchers were putting hay out for the cattle in the west central counties as pasture grass was short. In the southeastern counties, the higher land was showing the effects of the dry season in some areas. Some areas were having brush fires. Newly mowed or burned areas have new grass showing. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 5 0 0 Poor 45 40 20 10 Fair 45 50 60 70 Good 5 5 20 20 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: Mild days and cool nights this past week helped the citrus trees prolong their bloom period. Trees in virtually all areas are just about or have been in full open bloom. White bloom petals are falling under most trees and the honey bees are active. The ideal weather (except for the lack of rain) has produced an abundance of new growth on all well-cared-for trees. Growers are irrigating in most areas. Harvest of early and midseason oranges is complete except for a few smaller blocks and some scattered trees in mixed blocks of fruit. Movement of Valencia oranges is increasing along with very active picking of grapefruit. Most processing plants and fresh fruit packing houses are staying busy with Valencias, grapefruit, Temples, Honey tangerines and tangelos. Caretakers are very active mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops. Spring herbiciding has been reported in most counties. Hedging and topping are following harvesting in most groves except Valencia oranges and a few grapefruit. Growers are still pushing out dead trees and unprofitable groves. Some resetting continues. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Mar 7 Mar 14 Mar 21 Navel oranges 7,000 0 0 Early & Mid oranges 2,378,000 804,000 232,000 Valencia oranges 2,037,000 3,824,000 5,168,000 All grapefruit 2,778,000 2,936,000 2,833,000 Early Tangerines 8,000 3,000 4,000 Honey Tangerines 115,000 126,000 137,000 Tangelos 17,000 3,000 2,000 Temples 119,000 201,000 136,000 VEGETABLES: Warmer temperatures are hindering the development of strawberries. Palmetto-Ruskin producers started harvesting cucumbers. Northern growers are planting watermelons, snap beans, and sweet corn. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans, cabbage, cucumbers, sweet corn, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsley, peppers, pickles, radishes, squash, strawberries, and tomatoes. SNAP BEANS: Dade--The crop is in good condition. Planting and picking remain active. Quality and yield are good. Workers continue to irrigate as needed. East Coast--The crop is in mostly good condition. Picking of a light volume is active. Quality and color are good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting of a limited acreage remains active. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Everglades--Picking is active with good quality available. West Central--Condition is fair to good. Workers are irrigating as needed. Harvesting is expected to begin in early April. North--Planting is active. CABBAGE: West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Spring harvest is starting. Quality is fair and size is small to medium. Hastings--Harvest is steady. The crop is in good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Zellwood--Harvesting is winding down. Dade--Cabbage is in good condition. Harvest is active with normal yields. Quality is good. CARROTS: All areas--Harvesting continues. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting continues. SWEET CORN: Dade--Harvesting is active. Quality and yield are good. Workers are hand picking most acreage and packing ears in the field. Everglades--Picking is active. Quality is good. Most supplies are for local sales. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality is good. Zellwood--The crop is in good condition. Planting is finished. Harvesting is expected to begin in early May. North--Planting is active. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--Condition is fair to good. Picking is underway with fair to good quality available. Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Planting is virtually finished. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly fair to good. Warmer temperatures are increasing blooming and fruit set. Planting continues with workers irrigating to ensure proper growth of emerging plants. Picking is active. Quality and color are mostly good for first picks. PICKLES: Dade--The crop is in good condition with most plants making good stands. Irrigation is very active. West Central--Condition is rated fair to good. Planting is virtually finished. Zellwood--The crop is in good condition. Harvesting is expected to start in April. EGGPLANT: East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Growth and development of young fields are improving. Harvesting is active. Quality is good. Dade--Harvesting continues. Quality is good. Supplies are declining seasonally. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Cutting continues at a steady pace. Quality is fair to good. West Central--The crop condition remains fair to good. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. OKRA: Dade--Planting is active. Oldest plants are making a good stand. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady with fair to good quality available. East Coast--First picks of green Bells are providing good quality and large sizes. Growers are harvesting a light volume of red Bells and specialty varieties. Transplanting is winding down. Workers are pulling stakes from acreage completely picked and mowing plants. West Central--Condition is fair to good. Planting is virtually finished. POTATOES: Dade--Potato harvest is active with excellent yields. Supplies of all sizes are available. Digging is on schedule at this time. The young crop looks good. Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are good. Harvest is steady. Tuber quality and size are good. West Central-- Harvest is starting. Quality is fair to good. Size is fair. The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Hastings--Crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. Growers are making preparations to start harvest. RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--Digging is steady. Quality is good. SQUASH: Dade--Young fields are in good condition. Planting is almost done. Picking is steady with a good volume available through mid-April. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting is completed. Picking remains active with fair to good quality available. East Coast--The crop is in fair to good condition. Producers continue to harvest a light volume of zucchini and yellow types. Quality and color are mostly good. Workers are cleaning acreage completely picked. West Central-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is done. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Warmer temperatures are hindering proper fruit development. Harvesting continues with some acreage open for the U-Pic market. Quality and size are fair to good. Color is good. Dade--U-Pic harvesting continues with plentiful supplies available. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Transplanting is finished. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is good. A good supply of all sizes is available. Cooler temperatures are slowing the spread of disease with spraying active. Dade-- Crop condition is good. Picking continues with a good volume of all sizes available. Quality and yield are good. Good supplies are available into April. Workers are irrigating as needed. East Coast--Condition of acreage nearing maturity is good. Most of the youngest plants are growing well. Transplanting is winding down. Harvesting is mostly steady with growers making first, second, and third picks. Workers are irrigating as needed. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair to good. Fruit set is fair to good with fruit sizing improving. Transplanting is completed. Picking is expected to start in April. Quincy--Transplanting is active. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting continues at a steady pace. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting is expected to begin soon. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Picking is steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is slowing seasonally. Picking is expected to start in two to three weeks. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting is completed. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is virtually completed. North--Planting is active. To receive this report via e-mail, send an e-mail message to nass-state-releases@news.usda.gov with the following message: subscribe fl-crop-weather. The report will be e-mailed automatically to your e-mail address each week.