FL-CROP-WEATHER Week ending September 20, 1998 Released 4:00 P.M. September 21, 1998 WEATHER SUMMARY: Tropical waves passing over the Peninsula brought rain to most localities during the week of September 13 through 19. The remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine dropped rain over most Panhandle areas on September 19 and 20. Rain totals for the week ranged from less than a tenth inch at Tallahassee to almost eight and three quarters inches at Miami. West Palm Beach received almost six and three quarters inches while totals at the other stations ranged from an inch to three and a third inches. The abundant rain caused flooding in several west central and southwestern counties. Cloud cover kept some temperatures one to two degrees below normal. Most highs were in the 80s while most lows were in the 70s. Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tallahassee recorded at least one low in the 60s. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the State is reported mostly adequate with scattered areas of short or surplus moisture. Haying is active in most areas. Tobacco marketing is active. Fall armyworms are a serious pest in hay fields and pastures. White mold is a serious problem in many peanut fields. Foliage feeders are coming back to some peanut fields. Sugarcane planting is active. Peanut condition: fair 88%, good 12%. Sixteen percent of the peanuts for nuts are reported harvested. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 0 0 0 1 Short 4 22 5 14 Adequate 93 58 82 77 Surplus 3 20 13 8 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Statewide, the pasture condition declined slightly from the previous week. Grass growth was reported good in the central counties due to adequate soil moisture. Statewide, cattle and calves were mostly in fair to good condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 0 0 0 0 Fair 15 35 25 10 Good 75 60 70 85 Excellent 10 5 5 5 CITRUS: General rainy conditions were the rule all around Florida's citrus belt this week. The tropical depression that generated most of this rainfall spent the last part of the week drenching citrus groves from coast to coast with amounts ranging from 2 to 5 inches. New foliage continues to show on trees of all ages in all areas. New crop fruit continues to make good progress in those well-cared-for groves. Fruit sizes and maturity are generally lagging behind last year at this same time except for those few early bloom crops. Fresh fruit packing houses are field testing most early varieties of citrus for their beginning of the new crop season. There are a few packing houses in all areas of the citrus belt running limited quantities of white and colored grapefruit and some Navels. Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops that have grown tall and out of control. Growers are also mowing and hoeing under trees prior to herbiciding for good distribution of the chemicals. Pushing and removing dead and sick trees continues in all areas. Resetting of pushed areas continues. A few caretakers are discing and deep plowing to help dry out wet and soggy grove lands. VEGETABLES: The rainfall delayed some field activities with minor flooding reported in Dade County and some plant beds washed out in the East Coast region. SNAP BEANS: East Coast--Condition affected by abundant rain with fieldwork delayed. Dade--Crop condition is good. The rain caused puddling in low spots with some damage expected. Planting halted due to the rain and wet fields. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting gained momentum. CABBAGE: West Central--Cabbage planting has been gaining in momentum and the crop is in fair to good condition. Crop growth and development are slow to normal. SWEET CORN: East Coast--Land preparation delayed by rain. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--Condition remained fair to good. Planting increased. East Coast-- Preparations for planting stopped by the rain. PICKLES: West Central--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Planting gained momentum. Dade--Planting is expected to begin within the next two weeks if weather permits field activity. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Oldest plants are setting and sizing fruit. Wet fields prevented most planting. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Planting is finished. Dade--The crop is rated good with no significant rain damage. Southwest--Condition is fair to good as planting gains momentum. OKRA: Dade--Condition is good with the rainfall boosting development. Harvesting of the summer/fall crop continued with improved yield and quality. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting increased. West Central--Condition is fair to good. Planting continued at a steady pace. East Coast--Condition is rated fair to mostly good. Heavy showers in southern localities delayed planting and other field activities. Spraying continued to keep insects and disease under control. SQUASH: West Central--Condition is fair. Planting gained momentum. Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair. Planting increased. East Coast--Oldest plants are beginning to bloom. STRAWBERRIES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Transplanting is expected to begin over the next seven to ten days. TOMATOES: Quincy--Condition is good. Most acreage escaped the heavy rains of Hermine with about one inch falling in the Gadsden County area. Harvesting is getting underway as "hot set" varieties mature. East Coast--Crop condition remained mostly good. Oldest plants are blooming and setting fruit. Rainfall delayed fieldwork with heavier amounts in southern localities causing some wash outs of beds not yet planted. Spraying for the control of insects and disease was active. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Most acreage received six inches of rain during the week which reduced the effectiveness of pesticides. Transplanting is done. Fruit started to set. Staking is virtually finished. Tying is active. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Transplanting continued at a steady pace. Workers plowed land for future planting, laid plastic, and staked young plants. Growers sprayed to control insects and disease. Dade-- Workers continued making beds and laying plastic. The rain flooded some fields and caused some bubbling of plastic with overall damage minimal. Transplanting will start within the next two weeks barring any bad weather. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Fruit is starting to set. Planting is finished. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting continued at a steady pace. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting remained steady. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Fruit is starting to set. Planting continued to decrease seasonally. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Cutting is expected to start in early October. Southwest-- The crop is rated fair to good. Planting is winding down. 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.