fl-crop-weather Week ending April 11, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. April 12, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: The week of April 4 through April 10 was another very dry week. There was no appreciable rainfall reported at any of the weather stations across the State. All areas of the State are well below normal for the season. It was also a warm week, with temperatures averaging in the mid-to-upper 70s. Maximum temperatures above 90 degrees were reported in Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tallahassee. Most minimum temperatures were in the 60s, although Tallahassee reported a minimum of 58 degrees. FIELD CROPS: The topsoil moisture throughout the Panhandle is short to adequate. The Peninsula topsoil moisture is very short to short. Tobacco growers are actively transplanting tobacco. Corn planting is active. Cotton and peanut planting is starting. Spring crop land preparations are active. Sugarcane harvest is virtually complete. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 47 73 33 36 Short 48 21 61 56 Adequate 5 6 6 8 Surplus 0 0 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture and range in the Panhandle was in good condition where rain has fallen. Pasture and range condition in the rest of the State was very poor to fair. Grass was not growing due to dry conditions. Hay feeding was active in many areas. Some ranchers are running low on hay supplies. Dry weather is stunting pastures and fertilization is being delayed. In dry areas, pasture grass is dying back and ponds are starting to dry up. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 15 25 0 0 Poor 65 55 50 30 Fair 20 15 45 65 Good 0 5 5 5 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: A high pressure cell remained over Florida's citrus belt this week continuing the current drought. Some citrus trees are in different stages of wilt due to prolonged dry conditions. A few wells have been pumped so much recently that they are no longer able to supply sufficient water to run the grower's irrigation systems. Some water sources on both coasts have salt intrusion and are not usable for irrigation. All groves need rain, however, there are those well-cared-for groves with adequate water supplies that are in remarkably good condition. In most citrus counties, the bloom cycle continues as some trees have not had the necessary push from the production of new growth to produce sufficient bloom buds. Valencia harvest is very active in all areas. Movement of white and colored grapefruit is most active on the lower east coast for both fresh and process use. Honey tangerine and Temple harvest is slowing as supplies are running low. Caretakers are cutting cover crops to help conserve moisture. Hedging, topping, and post bloom nutritional spraying continue in all areas. Abandoned groves and dead trees are being removed and burned. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Mar 28 Apr 4 Apr 11 Early & Mid oranges 65,000 10,000 17,000 Valencia oranges 6,046,000 6,502,000 5,944,000 All grapefruit 2,652,000 1,896,000 1,723,000 Early Tangerines 3,000 6,000 2,000 Honey Tangerines 170,000 126,000 90,000 Temples 102,000 16,000 11,000 VEGETABLES: Dry weather continues to increase the need for irrigation. Some tomato growers are not making third picks due to a low market. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans, cabbage, cucumbers, sweet corn, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsley, peppers, pickles, potatoes, radishes, squash, and tomatoes. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Bean volume good with good quality and yield. Planting is virtually complete. Picking is active. Young fields growth is fair but hot, dry weather is a problem. Good volume for the rest of April. Everglades--Picking is active with a good supple available. Quality is good. East Coast--Crop remains in good condition. Pin beans forming on older bushes. Workers are hand picking a light volume of good quality. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are good. Picking is steady. Quality is good. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is starting. Both quality and size are good. Color is good. Volume is slow but should start to pick up in the next couple of weeks. North-- Planting is active. CABBAGE: West Central--Crop is in fair to good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Spring harvest is steady. Quality and size are fair. Volume increasing. Color is good. Hastings--Harvest is steady. Crop is in good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Dade--Harvest is in seasonal decline. Harvest expected to end next week. Zellwood-- Harvest is active. CARROTS: All areas--Harvesting is active. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting remains active with steady supplies available. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Picking is increasing seasonally. Quality is generally good. Supplies are expected to peak in April. Dade--Corn is in good condition. Harvest will be active through April. Volume is good. Quality and yield are good. East Coast-- Crop condition is good for the limited acreage left to be harvested. Good ear quality from very light harvest. Zellwood-- Crop is in very good condition, although rain is needed to ensure proper ear development. Harvesting is expected to begin in May. North--Planting is active. CUCUMBERS, Fresh market: Southwest--Crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is steady. Growth and development are good. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--Crop condition is good at maturity. Picking remains active. Very good quality and color. Crop is forming runners, blooming, setting, and sizing fruit. Planting of the spring crop is slowing down. Added irrigation needed for recently seeded fields. West Central--Crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is getting underway. Growth and development are normal. PICKLES: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is gaining with fair to good quality, color, and size available. Zellwood--Crop is in good condition with picking to start in two weeks. Dade--Crop is growing slow with hot, dry weather a problem. Growers continue to irrigate as needed. Harvest should start next week on the spring crop. EGGPLANT: Dade--Harvest active with good quality and yield. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Younger fields showing improvement. Light, but steady harvest from first cutting with good quality and color available. Fruit setting and sizing well. Some older fields being picked over and stakes and strings removed. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Cutting is steady with fair to good quality available. West Central--Crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are slow to normal. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is active with a good volume available. Quality is good. Zellwood-- Supplies from southern Georgia cooled for re-shipment. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting continues with mostly good supplies available. Quality is good. OKRA: Dade--Crop is looking better as growers irrigate and work fields. Some fields are blooming. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are good. Harvesting remains steady with fair to good quality and size available. Some sunburn is visible. East Coast--Crop condition remains mostly good at all stages of growth. New fields coming into production providing very good quality and large-sized green Bells available from crown picks. Harvest is active with all sizes being picked. Recent plantings showing mostly good progress. Older fields are being cleaned up with stakes and strings being removed. West Central- -Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Harvest will start in next three to four weeks. POTATOES: Dade--Potatoes are in good shape as growers are getting excellent yields and very good quality. Size is good with all sizes available. Some growers will finish digging this week but volume will remain good. Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is steady. Tuber quality and size are good. West Central--Harvest is gaining. Quality and size are fair to good. Volume slow but should increase. The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Hastings--Crop is in excellent condition. Growth and development are normal. Growers are making preparations to start harvest. RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--Digging is active. Quality is good. SQUASH: Dade--Crop volume is down. Young fields are in need of irrigation. Quality and yield are good. Fair volume for the next two to three weeks. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are good. Harvesting continues at a steady pace with good quality. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Harvesting is light on zucchini and yellow. Quality and color are good. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are slow to normal. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop is in poor to fair condition with the hot, dry weather deteriorating plant growth and fruit development. Harvesting is winding down seasonally with most growers finished. Quality is poor to fair. Sizes are fair to good. Color is good. U-pic harvesting is winding down with some fields finishing up this week. Dade--U-pic harvesting continues. Supplies slowed by hot, dry weather. Some fields have closed but berries are still available in many fields. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. The yield is good with good supplies of all sizes available. Gradeout is normal. Dade--Crop is in good condition but fields are very dry and need lots of irrigation. Harvest is slow. Fruit size is good and all sizes available. Good volume available for next three weeks. East Coast--Crop conditions are generally good in fields coming into production. The warm weather continues to accelerate fruit ripening at the mature stages. Crown pick fruit providing very good quality, with improved yields and large sized fruit available. Harvest volume is fluctuating due to the market. Plant growth and fruit development are good. Palmetto- Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Fruit set is good. Fruit sizing is fair to good. Picking is expected to start next week. Quincy--Transplanting is complete. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop remains in fair to good condition. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is increasing. Quality, size, and color are good. Volume still down but will increase in a few weeks. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is steady. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto- Ruskin--Crop is in fair to good condition, picking expect to start next week. Growth and development are normal. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvest gaining with fair to good quality available. Growth and development are good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop remains in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvest will start in three to four weeks. North--Planting is active with some producers finished. 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.