fl-crop-weather Week ending November 28, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. November 29, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: Warm temperatures returned during the week of November 21 through 27. Temperatures at the major stations averaged two to seven degrees above normal. Daytime highs were in the 70s and 80s while nighttime lows were in the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Pensacola and Tallahassee had at least one low in the 30s. Scattered showers dropped less than an inch of rain over most localities. Daytona Beach recorded about an inch and a quarter rain for the week; Apopka, about an inch and two thirds; and Dover, almost two inches. Tallahassee, Ona, and Ocklawaha received only about a tenth inch or less for the week. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is mostly short to adequate with scattered areas of very short or surplus moisture. Winter wheat for grain seeding is active. Dry soil is holding back fall planting in some areas. Cotton harvest is virtually complete. Sugarcane grinding and planting are active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 9 2 4 0 Short 73 41 44 37 Adequate 17 53 44 49 Surplus 1 4 8 14 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Most of the State pasture continue in fair to good condition, hurt by lack of soil moisture. In the western Panhandle, small grain winter grazing in some locations improved from last weekend's rain. Permanent pasture grass is short and cool season forage is not yet tall enough to graze. Lice on cattle are a significant problem. In the central and southwestern counties, rain received late in the week was too little to help pasture condition. Statewide, cattle condition is fair to good. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 5 0 0 Poor 15 10 5 5 Fair 60 50 55 40 Good 20 35 40 55 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: Weather this week in Florida's citrus belt was generally overcast with mild temperatures and scattered isolated light rains. Daylong soaking rains are needed in most areas as it has been 3 to 5 weeks since there was adequate rainfall. Growers are using their low volume irrigation to maintain good tree condition. New growth is restricted mainly to young trees in the southern region. There is good, natural fruit coloring on most early fruit. Most harvesting crews were off for Thanksgiving day and returned to work on Friday. Fresh fruit packing houses slowed for the holiday. However, most of the processors were running grove run fruit and several plants had some packing house eliminations to run. Virtually all processors are open at this time. Caretakers are continuing to cut cover crops for the upcoming winter season. A few heaters have been placed in the colder locations. There are some young tree groves that have been dirt banked for cold protection. Dead tree removal continues along with minimal resetting. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Nov 14 Nov 21 Nov 28 Navel oranges 200,000 310,000 195,000 Early & Mid oranges including Ambersweet 1,558,000 2,780,000 2,974,000 All grapefruit 779,000 860,000 603,000 Tangerines 254,000 335,000 255,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 7,000 30,000 10,000 Tangelos 17,000 57,000 63,000 VEGETABLES: Harvesting for the Thanksgiving market was quite active until late in the week when growers stopped for the holiday observance. Vegetables harvested during the week include tomatoes, peppers, endive, escarole, cucumbers, pickles, lettuce, radishes, snap beans, squash, sweet corn, okra, eggplant, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Planting is active. Harvesting is increasing seasonally. Quality and yield are good. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Growers continue to hand pick a limited volume. Color and quality are mostly good. North--Picking of a light volume continues. Quality is mostly good. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Picking is gaining momentum with activity mostly steady. Quality is fair to good. West Central-- Crop condition is good. Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality and color are good. Everglades--Harvesting is getting underway. 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. The crop is in good condition. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting for dicing is expected to start in late December. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting of a light volume is active. Yields are poor but are expected to improve by late December. Some excellent quality is available. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Harvesting continues at a steady pace. Quality is good. North, Zellwood--Harvesting remains active. Yield and quality are improving. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Planting of winter crop acreage is very active. Growers are cultivating, fertilizing, and spraying. Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Planting continues. Harvesting is expected to begin in January. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady with fair to good quality available. Sizes are variable. East Coast--The crop is in mostly good condition. Harvesting of a lighter volume is active. Quality and color are good with super select and select sizes available. Workers are thinning young fields, mowing acreage completely picked, and irrigating as needed. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting of a small acreage remains active. Picking is steady. Quality is good. PICKLES: Dade--The crop is in good condition. Planting remains active. Picking continues. Quality and yield are good. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair. Sizes are variable. Zellwood-- Harvesting of a light volume is active. Volume is expected to increase over the next few weeks. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Young acreage is in very good condition. Growers are making first and second cuts of regular varieties. Quality and color are good with mostly fancy sizes available. Volume is lighter. Southwest--Condition is good. Planting continues to slow seasonally. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Condition is rated very good. Planting is active. Workers are staking some acreage. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Cutting continues at a steady pace. Color and quality are good with variable sizes available. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is increasing seasonally. Volume is light. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting of Romaine, head, and leaf types is active. Volume is light. Most iceberg volume is going into bagged items. OKRA: Dade--Fields nearing maturity are in very good condition. Harvesting is active with good quality available. Yield is good although cooler weather is slowing plant growth. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is steady. Picking of fair to good quality fruit is active. East Coast--Young acreage is in good condition. Drier, cooler weather is aiding fruit setting and sizing. Harvesting is mostly steady with mostly good quality available. Workers are laying plastic, transplanting, removing stakes and strings from acreage completely picked, and mowing old plants. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is underway with most activity steady. POTATOES: Dade--Potato planting is on schedule with soil in good shape for planting. First fields planted are up and most have good stands. West Central--The crop is in fair condition. Growth and development are normal. Southwest--Planting is steady. The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. RADISHES: Everglades--Harvesting of acreage planted after Hurricane Irene passed is active. Volume is light as the season gets underway. Planting continues. SQUASH: Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting of a limited acreage is active. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. West Central--The crop is in fair condition. Picking is steady. Quality is fair to good. Color is fair. East Coast--Young plant growth is good. Picking is active with fancy and medium sizes available. Quality and color are good. Workers are mowing acreage completely harvested. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Dover, Lithia--Harvesting is slowly gaining momentum. Volume is very light. Palmetto- Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking continues to increase seasonally. Quality is good. Sizes and color are fair to good. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Transplanting and harvesting are steady. Volume is increasing seasonally with all sizes available. First picks are yielding fair quality; second picks, quality mostly good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair to good. Picking is steady. Quality is fair to good with variable sizes available. East Coast--Young acreage is in mostly good condition. Harvesting is active. Quality and sizes for first picks are mostly good. Volume is light. Transplanting continues. Quincy--Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Dade--Condition is good. Transplanting continues. Growers are expected to start removing pinks about mid- December with a significant volume anticipated in January. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is steady. Quality is fair. Southwest-- Condition is fair to good. Planting is steady. Harvesting continues with good quality available. PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. Color is good. Volume is increasing slightly. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting remains steady. Picking is active with good quality available. Quincy--Picking is slowing seasonally. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting is virtually done. Southwest--Harvesting of a small late fall acreage is expected to start soon. 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.