fl-crop-weather Week ending May 10, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. May 11, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Hot temperatures and scattered showers during the week of May 3 through 9 were accompanied by strong, steady winds blowing over most of the Peninsula during the end of the period. Temperatures averaged one to four degrees above normal with most daytime highs in the 80s. Daytona Beach, Miami, and Orlando recorded at least one high in the 90s. Nighttime lows were mostly in the 60s and 70s with some stations recording at least one low in the 50s. Rainfall ranged from traces at Daytona Beach to over an inch and a half at Miami. Some storms also dropped hail in a few Peninsula localities. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is short to mostly adequate with scattered areas of very short moisture. Wheat growers are getting ready to start wheat harvest. Dry soil is delaying cotton and peanut planting in some areas. Thirty eight percent of the peanuts are planted. Sugarcane growth is normal. Field preparation for spring planted crops is active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 6 11 3 3 Short 50 37 35 29 Adequate 44 52 61 67 Surplus 0 0 1 1 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture is showing drought stress in the Panhandle. Grass growth throughout the State has been hampered by dry conditions. The cattle condition is generally fair to good. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 5 5 5 5 Poor 5 10 0 5 Fair 45 65 35 55 Good 45 15 60 35 Excellent 0 5 0 0 CITRUS: This was another hot and windy week with a few scattered rains the first of the week. Growers are running their irrigation systems to maintain good tree condition during the current dry period. Most well-cared-for groves continue to be in very good condition with new foliage on trees of all ages. However, those groves with heavy cover crops and minimal irrigation are showing signs of stress. Post bloom fruit drop (blight) is present in some areas mostly on Navels and Valencias with other varieties showing varying degrees of excessive new fruit loss. Valencia harvest is still very active in all areas with almost all of the fruit going to the processor. Movement of all seedless grapefruit is slowing as supplies are limited. Honey tangerine harvest is about complete for the year. Caretakers are cutting cover crops that have grown out of control. Growers are spraying and herbiciding in most areas. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Apr 26 May 3 May 10 Valencia oranges 7,975,000 8,457,000 7,122,000 All grapefruit 1,610,000 1,282,000 922,000 Honey tangerines 29,000 21,000 8,000 VEGETABLES: Harvesting slowed in some southern areas as activity picked up in northern localities. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans, blueberries, cabbage, carrots, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, tomatoes, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Everglades--Harvesting remains active. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Harvesting continues at a steady pace. Quality is good. Zellwood--Harvesting of small acreage is active. Quality is good. Dade--Volume is declining as the season nears the end. Yield and quality are good. A small supply remains available over the next two weeks. East Coast-- Crop condition is good. Hand picking of a small volume continues. Quality, color, and yield are good. West Central--Condition is fair. Picking will get underway over the next few days. Big Bend, Western Panhandle--Harvesting is getting underway. BLUEBERRIES: West Central, North--Harvesting remains active. Supply is limited. CABBAGE: Dade--Harvest season is complete. West Central-- Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are slow to normal. Harvest is winding down. Head quality is fair and color is good. Size is variable. Yield and volume are improving. Central, Hastings--Harvest is steady. Head quality is good. Head size is close to normal. Growth and development are normal. Harvest will last into June. CARROTS: Zellwood--Harvesting remains active. Yield and packout are improving. Quality is generally good. CELERY: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting continues. Quality is good. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Picking is increasing. Quality is generally good. Southwest--Crop condition is good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. Zellwood--Condition is very good. Harvesting is getting underway over the next few days. A limited amount is available for the festival occurring this up-coming weekend. East Coast--Growers continue to pull a very light amount for local sales. Dade--Picking for local needs continues. CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Picking is increasing. Quality, color, and sizes are good. Workers are cleaning fields completely harvested. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting of a steady volume continues. Quality remains good. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting is increasing. Quality and color are fair to good. Sizes are variable. Dade--Pickle harvesting remains active. Quality and yield remain good. Supplies are declining seasonally with a fair volume available until late May. Some growers are picking a small amount of wax types with good quality and yield being realized. Zellwood--Picking continues. Quality is mostly good. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. First cuts are providing a limited volume of fancy and some choice grades of good quality and color. Workers continue to clean blocks completely harvested. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting of a steady amount is active. Quality is good. West Central--Condition is fair. Cutting of a light supply is active. Quality is fair. Sizes are variable. Dade--High winds during an early week storm tossed plants and scarred some fruit. A light supply of fair quality remains available as the season nears the end. Yield is fair. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades, Zellwood--Harvesting continues. Quality is good. Supply is steady. LETTUCE: Everglades, Zellwood--Harvesting is slowing. Quality is good. OKRA: Dade--Crop condition is good but rainfall is needed. Harvesting of a fair supply is producing good quality and yield. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting of a steady volume is active. Quality is good. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting of an increasing supply is active. Quality, sizes, and color are fair. Some scarred fruit is not meeting grade. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Mid-week rain and hot temperatures lowered the condition of some plants. First picks are yielding good quality and very good sizes. Limb picks are producing various sizes. POTATOES: Southwest--Potato harvest is complete for the year. Dade--Potato harvest will be completed this week. Volume is fair as some growers have bags stored in coolers. West Central--Crop is in poor to good condition. Growth and development are slow to normal. Harvest is winding down. Quality is fair. Potato size is variable. The volume and yield are down. Hastings--Harvest is active. The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are slow to normal. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting is active. Quality is mostly good. SQUASH: Dade--Harvesting remains active with a good volume available through late May. Yield and quality are good. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking of steady supplies continues. Quality is good. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Picking is slowly increasing. Quality, sizes, and color are fair. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Harvesting of a light volume continues. First cuts are yielding fancy and medium sizes of good quality and color. Workers are cleaning up acreage completely picked. Sumter County--Picking of peak volume is active with supplies to start declining over the next seven to ten days. Quality is generally good. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Picking is nearly finished with some U-Pic harvesting still active. Dade-- Some good berries remain available for the U-Pic market as the season nears the end. TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated mostly fair to good. Fruit setting is complete. Fruit sizing is fair. Harvesting is slowly increasing. Fruit quality and sizes are fair. East Coast--Plant growth is good. Fruit set and sizing are improving. Fields nearing maturity have fruit of good size and quality. Growers are making first through third picks. Southwest-- Crop condition is declining seasonally. Harvesting is active with a fair supply of all sizes available. Quality is fair to good. Gradeout is nearly normal with some suntans not meeting grade. Dade--The season is nearing the end with a small volume of 6x6 and smaller sizes available. Producers are turning most acreage over to pinhookers. Quincy--Crop condition is good. Producers are starting to make third ties this week. Pinks are expected to be picked during the last week of May. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting of a steady supply continues. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Picking is slowly increasing. Quality is fair. Volume and yield are light. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at a steady pace. Quality is good. Palmetto- Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Picking of a fair volume is active. Quality, sizes and yield are fair. Color is good. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Cutting of a steady volume is active. Quality is good. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting is expected to begin soon.