fl-crop-weather
Week ending May 30, 1999
Released 4:00 P.M.
June 1, 1999
WEATHER SUMMARY: The week of May 23 through May 29 was warm with scattered
showers occurring in many areas of the State. Rainfall totaled from traces
to nearly two inches at the major stations. Some local areas in the
Palmetto-Ruskin region received from a trace to as much as four inches of
rain. Temperatures at the major stations averaged from normal to two
degrees above normal. Daily highs were mostly in the lower 90s. Daily lows
were mostly in the 60s with Tampa and Key West reporting lows in the 70s.
FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the Panhandle is mostly adequate with
scattered areas of short. Topsoil moisture in the Peninsula is very short
to short with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Growers in the
Panhandle were able to plant cotton and peanuts that had been delayed due
to dry soils. Some cotton and peanuts were replanted because of poor
stands. Tobacco is being irrigated. Hay fields are responding well in most
cases to the rainfall. Growers reported virtually all of the peanuts are
planted compared with 74 percent last week.
Moisture Topsoil Subsoil
Rating Last week This week Last week This week
Percent
Very short 10 21 7 26
Short 42 55 41 53
Adequate 48 24 52 21
Surplus 0 0 0 0
LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture conditions worsened for much of the State
last week. In the Panhandle, conditions varied with the amount of rain
recently received. Some locations showed drought stress. In the northern
counties, a general drought condition continues. Some losses were reported
in hay fields. In the central area, pasture conditions were reported fair
with some areas not having received rain for six weeks. The southwest
pastures were fair to good, with some low lying areas reported in fair
shape. Ponds in the west central counties were still dry. The overall
condition of the cattle improved slightly.
Range Cattle
Condition
Last week This week Last week This week
Percent
Very poor 5 0 0 0
Poor 25 40 20 10
Fair 65 50 70 80
Good 5 10 10 10
Excellent 0 0 0 0
CITRUS: There were several scattered rains and some heavy thunderstorms
with high winds in isolated areas of Florida's citrus belt. Some irrigation
continues in the dryer groves and on the high sand hills. New growth is
showing on trees of all ages. There are only a few groves in open bloom at
this time. Several grapefruit groves that bloomed in early March have new
crop fruit the size of golf balls and larger. Some Temples, tangerines and
tangelos that bloomed during April and May have very small size new crop
fruit. Movement of Valencia oranges has slowed as supplies are running low
in most areas. Harvest of all grapefruit is about over for this season.
Harvest of Honey tangerines is very slow and about over.
Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops. Post bloom
nutritional spraying continues in all areas as some trees have just
finished blooming. Abandoned groves and dead trees are being pushed and
burned. Summer fertilizations and second sprays are being applied in those
well-cared-for groves.
Estimated boxes harvested week ended
Crop May 16 May 23 May 31
Valencia oranges 4,689,000 3,933,000 3,208,000
All grapefruit 307,000 201,000 90,000
Honey Tangerines 15,000 7,000 2,000
Temples 2,000 0 1,000
VEGETABLES: Major vegetables shipped: snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers,
eggplant, okra, peppers, pickles, potatoes, radishes, squash, tomatoes,
watermelons.
SNAP BEANS: North--Harvesting is active. Supplies remain active. Dade,
Southwest, West Central--Harvest is complete. Everglades--Harvest is
virtually complete. East Coast--Quality and color are good from limited
volume from hand-picked harvest. Growers are cleaning up, mowing, and
discing after hand harvest.
CABBAGE: West Central--Crop is in fair condition. Spring harvest is winding
down. Quality is fair to good. Size is variable. Color is good.
Hastings-Harvest is virtually complete. Dade, Zellwood--Harvest is
complete.
CARROTS: All areas_ Harvesting is complete.
CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting is complete.
SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvest is winding down and should finish by next
week. Quality and yields have been very good. Dade--Season is complete
except for small fields for local sales. East Coast--Season is virtually
over. Very light volume for local sales. Zellwood--Harvest is active. Dry
weather will reduce yields in June somewhat. North--Harvest is starting.
Crop is in good condition.
CUCUMBERS, Fresh market: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition.
Picking is winding down. Growth and development are normal. Quality and
size are fair to good. East Coast--Condition of the crop, fruit set, and
sizes are good. Market prices and reduction in labor are causing harvest to
rapidly wind down. Mowing and clean up in remaining fields continues. West
Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is winding down.
Quality and color are good. Size is variable.
PICKLES: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is winding
down. Fruit quality and size are good. Zellwood--Harvest is active. Quality
and yields are fair to good. Dade--Season is complete.
EGGPLANT: Dade--Harvest is complete. East Coast--Crop conditions are good.
Fruit setting and sizing well. Harvest volume moderate from regular and
specialty eggplant. Quality and color remain good. Cutting mostly Fancy,
with very light on choice. Workers are active at removal of stakes and
mowing down older crop. Southwest--Harvest is winding down. Crop condition
is fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Quality and size are
fair to good. West Central--U-Pic still active but they are slowing down.
ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is virtually complete.
LETTUCE: Everglades--Season is over.
OKRA: Dade--Okra fields look very good. Volume is improving with good
quality and yield.
PEPPERS: Southwest--The crop is in fair condition. Growth and development
are normal. Harvest is winding down. Quality is fair to good. East
Coast--Condition of crop remains in fair to mostly good shape. Crown picks
of green bells are providing good quality and very good size (extra large
and large) pods. Other picks provide mostly good quality and variable
sizes. Supply for the crown pick will probably wind down in the next 7 to
10 days. Other picks are available. Workers are pulling stakes, removing
strings and mowing down harvested fields. West Central--Crop condition is
fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is mostly steady.
Fruit quality and color are fair to good. Size is variable.
POTATOES: Dade, Southwest, West Central--Harvest is complete.
Hastings--Crop is in excellent condition. Growth and development are
normal. Harvest is active. Yields are good to very good.
RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--Harvest is finished for the season.
SQUASH: Dade--Season is virtually complete. Some small fields for local
market. Southwest--Harvest is complete. East Coast--Spring season harvest
is complete. Growers are mowing and pulling up plastic. West
Central--Harvest is virtually complete. U-Pic only for about next 2 weeks.
STRAWBERRIES: Dade, Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin-- Harvest is complete.
TOMATOES: Dade, Southwest--Harvest is complete. Fields are being cleared of
all stakes and plastic. East Coast--Crop conditions remain in fair to good
shape. Good foliage, set, and quality in the fields are nearing maturity.
Crown picks are providing large sized fruit and good quality. Some of the
second picks were accelerating in maturity, and are being harvested with
good quality and variable sizes. A few fields were walked through for the
best of the third picks and then stopped. Fruit continues to show rapid
ripening on some varieties. Fields that will be near crown picks in the
next few weeks are showing good set and sizing up of the fruit. Workers are
removing stakes, string, and plastic from harvested fields.
Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Plant growth and fruit setting are
fair. Harvest is steady but slowing. Some growers have finished and others
will finish next week. Fruit quality is fair to good. The yield is fair to
good. Most growers will be making only two picks. Some of the younger
fields may be picked only once. Spraying is active. Quincy--Crop is in good
condition. Growers will start light picking this week. Volume picking
should start next week.
CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop remains in fair condition. Harvesting
is winding down. Growth and development are normal. Quality and size are
fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop condition is fair to good. Quality
is good. Size is normal. Volume is decreasing.
PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop condition is fair. Growth and
development are normal. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. There is not much
acreage left to pick. Quality is good. Size and color are fair to good.
Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Picking is winding down.
Growth and development are normal. Fruit quality and size are fair to good.
WATERMELONS: Southwest--The crop condition is fair. Harvest is winding
down. Growth and development are normal. Quality and size are fair to good.
Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop remains in fair to good condition. Growth and
development are normal. Harvest will be active for the next two weeks.
Quality is good. Size is medium to large. Color is good. Taste is great.
North--The irrigated crop is in good condition. Non-irrigated crop ranges
from poor to good depending on rainfall received. Vines are showing the
effects of wind and sand damage, particularly in dry, non-irrigated fields.
Growers will be making first picks this week. Central--Harvest is active.
Irrigated crop in good condition.
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