fl-crop-weather Week ending December 26, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. December 27, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: Mild temperatures gave way to cooler weather during the last part of the week of December 19 through 25. Lows averaged in the 40s in northern areas, in the 50s in central, and in the 60s across the southern Peninsula. Daytime highs were mostly in the 60s and 70s with Pensacola highs only averaging in the 50s. Temperatures averaged one to three degrees below normal in the north, and normal to three degrees above elsewhere. Some central areas experienced frost at the end of the week. Pensacola and Tallahassee reported about an inch to an inch and a half of rain for the week. Elsewhere, rain totaled from none up to three quarters of an inch with several areas reporting traces. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the Panhandle is mostly adequate while the rest of the State is mostly short to adequate. Rain during the week improved moisture condition. Winter wheat for grain seeding is complete. Sugarcane grinding and planting are active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 0 3 1 Short 41 31 47 41 Adequate 59 69 50 58 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Widespread light rains during the past week improved pasture condition in most of the northern and central counties. Pasture in the west-central counties still shows some green, but cattle condition fell off due to poor grass condition. Ponds are low in the area. In the southwest, pastures are reported just fair to good due to dry soil condition. Statewide, most pasture and cattle are in fair condi tion. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 5 0 0 Poor 25 15 5 5 Fair 65 70 85 70 Good 5 10 10 25 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: There were some light rains in most areas on Thurs day, December 23. These rains preceded a cold front that lowered temperatures into the upper thirties in several of the State's central and northern citrus groves. There was no damage to the fruit, however, where there was light frost, weeds and cover crops were killed. There is very little irrigation as a result of the rains December 16 -17. Most trees and fruit are in very good condition. Early and midseason fruit are all showing good on-tree color break. Harvesting crews are very active moving oranges to the processors. Most fresh fruit packing houses packed fruit through the middle of the week when some slowed due to Christmas. Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops. There are still a few sprays being applied for fresh crops. Hedging and topping continue in all areas. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Dec 12 Dec 19 Dec 26 Navel oranges NA 467,000 NA Early & Mid oranges including Ambersweet NA 7,476,000 NA All grapefruit NA 968,000 NA Tangerines NA 438,000 NA K-Early Citrus Fruit NA 3,000 NA Tangelos NA 170,000 NA VEGETABLES: Fall crop harvesting is almost finished in the Palmetto-Ruskin region. Watermelon harvesting is nearing an end around Immokalee. Vegetables harvested during the week include tomatoes, peppers, endive, escarole, cabbage, cucumbers, pickles, lettuce, radishes, snap beans, squash, strawberries, sweet corn, okra, and eggplant. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Crop condition is rated excellent. Planting remains active. Both hand and machine harvesting are producing good quality with a good supply available. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Hand picks are producing a light volume. Quality and color are good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting and picking continue at a steady pace. Quality is good. Everglades--Picking is nearing the end. Quality is mostly good. West Central--Fall crop harvesting is finished. CABBAGE: West Central--Transplanting is complete. The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvesting is starting. Hastings, North Central-- Transplanting is active. Growth and development are normal. The crop is in good condition. Heads are smaller than normal in some areas. Harvest is gaining momentum. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting is active. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Picking continues with variable, but improved quality available. Southwest--Harvesting remains active. Quality is mostly good. East Coast--Planting of winter crop acreage is winding down. The recent seeding is germinating well. Young plants are making a good stand. Growers continue to cultivate and fertilize as needed. Dade--The crop is rated in very good condition. Planting is nearing the end. Harvesting is expected to begin about mid-January. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: East Coast--Plant growth and fruit development are good. Harvesting is increasing as more acreage reaches maturity. Quality and color are very good. Growers are packing super select and select sizes. Workers continue to mow acreage completely picked. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is steady. Picking continues with good quality available. West Central--Fall crop harvesting is finished. PICKLES: Dade--Harvesting continues with good quality available. Yield is good. West Central, Zellwood--Fall crop harvesting has ended. EGGPLANT: East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Cutting of regular varieties is yielding mostly fancy sizes of good quality and color. Cutting of a light volume of specialty varieties is producing good quality. Workers are removing stakes and strings from acreage completely picked and mowing the plants down. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting remains slow. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. Dade--The crop is in good condition. Cutting continues with good quality available. Yield is good. West Central--Harvesting is virtually done. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is active. LETTUCE: Everglades, Lake Placid--Harvesting continues. OKRA: Dade--Harvesting of good quality remains active. Supply is limited due to cool nights slowing plant growth and development. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting remains steady. Picking of fair to good quality is active with steady supplies available. East Coast--Harvesting of green Bells is increasing as more acreage reaches maturity. First picks are producing mostly good quality and increasing pod sizes. Harvest ing of some red and a very light volume of yellow Bells is active. Picking of specialty types is yielding a lighter volume. Workers are laying plastic and transplanting winter crop acreage. Other activities include removing stakes and strings from acreage completely picked and mowing plants. West Central--The crop remains in fair to good condition. U-Pic harvesting continues with fair to good quality available. POTATOES: Dade--Potatoes look very good with good weather for planting. Planting will continue until the first of the year. Young fields all up to good stands and growing well. West Central--The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. Southwest--Planting is steady. The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are good. Hastings-- Growers are starting to plant. RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--Digging is active. Quality is mostly good. SQUASH: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is steady. Harvesting is active. Quality is good. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Harvesting of zucchini and yellow types is active. Volume is lighter with good quality and color available. Workers are cleaning acreage completely harvested. West Central--Picking of the fall crop is done. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Dover, Lithia--Harvesting continues with mostly good quality available. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Crop condition is good. Picking is increasing. Quality, sizes, and color are good. Dade--U-Pic harvesting continues with good supplies expected for January. TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Transplanting is steady with some growers watering plants to ensure good stands. Plant growth, fruit set, and fruit sizing are good. Recent temperatures were nearly ideal for crop develop ment. Picking continues at a steady pace. First picks are produc ing 5x6 and 6x6 sizes, while second and third picks are yielding mostly 6x6 and 6x7 sizes. Quality is good. Gradeout is about normal. East Coast--Plant growth is increasing. Harvesting of crown, second and third picks remains active. Quality is improv ing. Transplanting continues. Other fieldwork includes laying plastic, staking, tying, and pruning. Workers continue to remove stakes and strings from fields completely picked and mow plants. Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Planting is slowing. Harvesting is increasing slowly. Quality is good. Yield is below normal but is expected to increase for the next pick. A good volume is expected for January. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is winding down with some growers finished. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. A small volume is expected into early January. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting and picking are steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvesting is finished. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting remains steady. Harvesting continues with good quality available. Volume is steady. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair to good. Picking continues to slow seasonally with some growers finished. Quality is fair to good. WATERMELONS: Southwest--The crop is in fair condition. Picking is slow as the season nears the end. 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.