fl-crop-weather Week ending November 14, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. November 15, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: Warmer temperatures returned during the week of November 7 through 13. Temperatures averaged normal to four degrees above for the week. Daily highs averaged in the 70s and 80s at the major stations. Lows were mostly in the 50s over the Panhandle and northern Peninsula areas, in the 60s over the central Peninsula, and in the 70s over the southern Peninsula. Tallahassee reported that lows averaged 48 degrees for the week. Most localities received no rain for the week. Ft. Pierce recorded about one third inch while Pierson and Daytona Beach received about a quarter inch. The Orlando area received about a tenth to two tenths inch. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is mostly short to adequate with scattered areas of very short or surplus moisture. Winter wheat seeding for grain is starting. Dry soil is holding back fall planting in some areas. Cotton harvest is winding down. Sugarcane grinding and planting are active. Peanut harvest is virtually complete. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 1 2 4 4 Short 12 31 12 25 Adequate 62 61 58 63 Surplus 25 6 26 8 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Small grain winter pastures throughout the State, and especially in the Panhandle, were held back due to the dry weather. Hay feeding was active. Small grain forage and permanent pasture grass in the northern and central areas grew slower due to the seasonally cooler weather and shorter days. Some locations received an early frost. Hay production this season was reduced in the central and southern areas due to the poor weather condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 0 0 0 Poor 5 5 0 0 Fair 45 55 35 40 Good 45 40 65 60 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: There was near ideal weather in virtually all citrus growing areas this week. However, there was very little, if any, rain and some growers have restarted their irrigation systems to keep the fruit in good condition. Cool nighttime temperatures have slowed new growth development. There is good natural on- tree fruit coloring of most early types of citrus. Harvesting crews enjoyed near perfect conditions for picking Ambersweet and Hamlin oranges, Navels, white and colored grapefruit, early tangerines, tangelos and a few K-Early Citrus Fruit. Several more processing plants are opening to receive packing house eliminations and some grove-run fruit. Most maturity levels are still lagging behind the past several years. Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing groves for the upcoming winter season. Some young tree groves are receiving their last fertilization of the year. Some growers continue spraying to prevent brown rot. Dead trees are being pushed out and burned. A few resets are being planted in the larger groves. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Oct 31 Nov 7 Nov 14 Navel oranges 136,000 187,000 200,000 Early & Mid oranges including Ambersweet 339,000 889,000 1,558,000 All grapefruit 468,000 643,000 779,000 Tangerines 211,000 249,000 254,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 4,000 3,000 7,000 Tangelos 0 12,000 17,000 VEGETABLES: Strong winds tossed some Dade County and East Coast crops with some plants stressed. Harvesting of endive, escarole, lettuce, and radishes is getting underway in the Everglades area. Harvesting of the fall tomato crop around Quincy is near the end. Vegetables marketed during the week include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, pickles, squash, sweet corn, okra, eggplant, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Dade--The crop is in good condition. Most fields show good stands. Planting is active. Harvesting of some pole beans is yielding fair quality. Workers are irrigating as needed. East Coast--Recent plantings show mostly good germination and plant growth. Planting of a limited acreage is active. Harvesting of a light volume continues. Quality and color are mostly good. North--Harvesting is active. Quality is mostly good. Southwest--Acreage hurt by Irene is in fair to good condition while fields emerging after the storm are in good condition. Planting continues at a steady pace. West Central-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is expected to begin within the next week or two. Everglades--Planting remains active. CABBAGE: West Central--Transplanting is steady. The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are slow to normal. Hastings, North Central--Transplanting is active. Growth and development are normal. Crop is in good condition. CELERY: Everglades--Transplanting is active. SWEET CORN: North, Zellwood--Harvesting of a limited volume continues. East Coast--Young acreage is making a good stand. Planting is active. Workers are preparing land, fertilizing, and cultivating. Dade--The crop is in good condition. Recent plantings are making good stands. Planting is steady. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. Sizes are variable. Some fruit shows damage from the recent adverse weather. East Coast--Recent plantings show good germination and growth. Older fields are setting fruit with fruit gaining size. Harvesting is increasing slowly as more acreage reaches maturity. Quality and color are mostly good. Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Picking is steady with good quality available. PICKLES: Zellwood--Picking is active. Quality is mostly good. Everglades--Picking is gaining momentum. Quality is mostly good. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Young acreage is in good condition. Picking is gaining momentum. Quality and yield are good. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is improving. Harvesting of a moderate volume of regular and specialty types is active. Quality and color are good. Southwest--Condition is rated fair to good. Planting is slow. Cutting is steady with good quality available. Dade--The crop is in good condition with blooming increasing . Strong winds are causing some plant stress. Staking is active. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Cutting is increasing. Quality is good. Sizes are variable. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is getting underway. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is getting underway. OKRA: Dade--The crop is in good condition. Strong winds are causing some plant stress. Fall crop harvesting is increasing. Quality is mostly good. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Harvesting is increasing. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--The young crop is in good condition. Older fields show a lighter than normal fruit set for the crown crop. Some fields are recovering slowly from the effects of Hurricane Irene. Transplanting of the winter crop is continuing at the normal pace. Harvesting of green and red Bells and specialty types is active. Quality is mostly good. Sizes are variable. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. POTATOES: Dade--Planting is active with perfect weather and soil in good shape for planting. West Central--Planting is active. The crop is in fair condition. Growth and development are normal. Southwest--Planting is gaining momentum. RADISHES: Everglades--Digging is getting underway. SQUASH: Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting is steady. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality is fair to good. Sizes and color are fair. East Coast--Older acreage is in mostly good condition. Strong winds are preventing proper pollenation of some acreage. Harvesting of a light volume of zucchini continues. Quality and color are mostly good. STRAWBERRIES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is rated fair to good. Picking is slowly gaining momentum. Quality is fair. Plant City--Harvesting is slowly gaining momentum. Volume is light but is expected to increase by late November. TOMATOES: Southwest--Young plants are in good condition. Older plants are in fair to good condition. Planting is steady. Fruit set and sizing are good. Picking is gaining speed. Quality is fair to good. Packout continues below normal with some scarred fruit not meeting grade. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is increasing with fair to good quality available. First picks are yielding fair to good sizes. Second pick sizes are expected to improve. Volume is fair. East Coast--Cooler, drier weather is aiding the formation of bloom buds, blooming, and fruit setting. Strong winds are causing some plant stress. Fruit sizing is slow for acreage nearing maturity. Growers are making first and second picks. Quality and sizes are variable. Yield is below normal. Transplanting is active. Dade--The crop is in fair condition. Plants set after Hurricane Irene passed are in very good condition. Crown hands are blooming with some fruit starting to set. Strong winds are increasing the need for irrigation. Transplanting continues. Quincy--Harvesting is nearing the end with most growers finished. Quality is mostly good. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at a steady pace. Quality is fair to good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting remains steady. Picking is gaining momentum. Quality is fair to good. PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is increasing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Transplanting remains active. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. Quincy--Picking is nearing the end with most growers finished. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is mostly steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. 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.