fl-crop-weather Week ending February 21, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. February 22, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: The passage of a cold front at the beginning of the week brought cooler weather during February 14 through 20. Temperatures at the major stations averaged from one degree below normal to one degree above. Tallahassee lows averaged 39 for the week with a low of 24 recorded on at least one morning. Jacksonville had a low of 29 on at least one morning. Central Peninsula lows averaged in the 40s and 50s although temperatures fell into the mid to upper 30s on at least one morning during the week. A light frost in Sumter County burned some tender foliage. High temperatures averaged in the 60s and 70s at the major stations with many central and southern localities recording a high in the 80s on at least one day. Several localities received no measurable rain during the week. Tallahas see recorded about an inch of rain. Immokalee measured from traces to one and a half inches during mid-week. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the Panhandle is adequate with areas of short moisture. Peninsula topsoil moisture is short to adequate. Tobacco growers are taking care of plant beds. Spring crop land preparations are active. Sugar cane harvest is active. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 1 0 1 0 Short 59 68 43 53 Adequate 40 32 54 47 Surplus 0 0 3 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture, cattle and calves were in fair to good condition in the Panhandle and northern counties. Cool season forage (small grains) were doing well. In the central and southern counties, pasture grass is providing some new forage. Permanent pasture grass in the southwest was emerging on land burned and mowed. Statewide, cattle and calves were mostly in poor to fair condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 25 40 20 25 Fair 60 50 55 60 Good 15 10 25 15 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: The weather this week in most citrus producing counties was cloudy and mild with a few scattered showers. Saturday night and Sunday a high pressure cell passed through the State bringing cold weather with low temperatures in the upper thirties. There was no damage to citrus from this cold shot. There are several groves of many varieties and ages that have a lot of open bloom. Most groves in all areas have pin head to swelling bloom buds with a good amount of feathery new growth. Rain is needed in most areas. Irrigation of all types is being used to maintain good tree condition for the up-coming bloom period. Picking crews are winding down their early and midseason orange harvest. A few Valencia oranges are being packed and processed. Some of the picking crews have switched over to harvesting grapefruit, Temples, tangelo and Honey tangerines. Most processing plants are still very active at this time. Caretakers are discing, chopping, and mowing cover crops prior to harvesting and for fire protection . Hedging and topping have been reported in all areas as growers try to reduce their bearing surface before new crop fruit set. Dead tree removal continues along with burning of debris. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Feb 7 Feb 14 Feb 21 Navel oranges 54,000 37,000 22,000 Early & Mid oranges 7,775,000 6,121,000 5,991,000 Valencia oranges 89,000 182,000 604,000 All grapefruit 1,817,000 1,953,000 2,424,000 Early Tangerines 18,000 8,000 24,000 Honey Tangerines 120,000 119,000 141,000 Tangelos 143,000 108,000 92,000 Temples 124,000 135,000 112,000 VEGETABLES: Windy weather tossed some crops as the cold front passed. Dry weather continues to increase the need for irrigation. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans, cabbage, sweet corn, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsley, peppers, pickles, radishes, squash, strawberries, and tomatoes. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Young fields are in good condition. Planting remains active. Picking continues with volume at peak level. Quality and yield are good. Good supplies are available through mid-April. East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Recent planting has mostly good germination. Harvesting of a light volume continues. Quality and color are good. Southwest-- Crop condition improved with plants rated in good condition. Planting and picking are steady. Quality is good. Everglades-- Harvest is expected to begin about mid-March. West Central-- The crop is in good condition as planting gets underway. CABBAGE: West Central--Harvest is seasonally slowing. Quality is fair to good. Size and color are fair. Cabbage planting is complete. The crop is in fair to good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Hastings--Harvest is steady. Planting is winding down. The crop is in good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Zellwood--Harvest is very active. Quality is good. The crop is growing nicely. Dade- -Cabbage harvest is active with average yield and good quality. Everglades--Harvest is active. Both red and green are available. CARROTS: All areas--Harvesting continues. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting continues. Supplies are good. SWEET CORN: Dade--Picking continues. Quality and yield are good. Volume is very good with good supplies available through mid-to-late March. East Coast--Young acreage is in good condition with workers cultivating and fertilizing as needed. Acreage nearing maturity is in mostly good condition. Harvesting continues with good quality available. Everglades--The spring acreage is in good condition with picking expected to begin in March. Picking for the local market is active with good quality available. Zellwood--Planting is expected to begin within the next few days. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Planting of spring acreage is winding down. Harvesting of a light volume continues. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--The crop is in mostly good condition. Planting continues at a slow pace. Germination is fair to mostly good. Young acreage is in good condition. Oldest acreage is starting to set fruit. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is steady. PICKLES: Dade--The crop suffered from recent strong winds tossing plants and cool temperatures slowing development. Picking of a low volume continues. Quality is fair. West Central- -The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is slowing seasonally with some producers finished. Zellwood--Harvesting is expected to start in April. EGGPLANT: East Coast--The crop is in good condition. Cutting of a limited volume is active with regular and Italian varieties available. Quality and color are good. Dade--Fall fields, mowed earlier to make a second crop, are in good condition. Younger acreage is in fair condition with cool, windy weather at the beginning of the week slowing growth and development. Harvesting is active. Quality is good. Yield is fair. Southwest-- Crop condition is good. Planting is finished. Cutting continues at a steady pace with good quality available. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition with plants developing normally. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting continues. Quality is good with a good volume available. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting remains active. Quality is very good. Supplies of Romaine, head, and leaf varieties are good. OKRA: Dade--Harvesting of a low volume remains active. Quality is fair. Supplies are low. PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting is completed. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. East Coast--Young fields are in good condition. Planting remains active. Harvesting of green and red Bells and specialty varieties is active. First picks of Bells are yielding very good quality and large sizes. Limb picks of Bells and all picks of specialty types are producing good quality. Workers are cleaning acreage completely picked. West Central--Condition is fair to good. Planting is slowing seasonally with some growers finished. POTATOES: Dade--The potato crop looks very good with early fields killed. Digging will start the last week of February or first week of March. Southwest--The crop is in good condi tion. Growth and development are good. Harvest is steady. Tuber quality and size are good. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Hastings--Planting is winding down. Growth and development are normal. RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--Harvesting continues. Quality and volume are good. SQUASH: Dade--Young acreage is in good condition. Planting is active. Picking remains active with a steady volume available through about mid-April. Quality and yield are good. Southwest- -Condition is good. Planting is finished. Harvesting continues with good quality available. East Coast--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting of a light volume of zucchini contin ues. Quality and color are good with mostly fancy grades available. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is slowing seasonally. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Picking remains steady. Quality is fair. Sizes and color are fair to good. Dade--U-Pic acreage is in good condition. Picking continues with good quality available. Yield is good. TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is nearing the end. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Yield is good. A good supply of all sizes is available. Cooler weather is helping to keep disease under control along with steady spraying. Dade--The crop is in good condition. Young plants are setting good, sturdy hands. Fruit sizing is good. Bloom and fruit drop is minimal. Harvesting is active with good quality available. Yield and packout are good. A good volume is available through March. East Coast--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is active with good quality available. First picks are yielding large sizes while other picks are producing variable sizes. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is slowing seasonally. Fruit setting is increasing. Quincy--Land preparation remains active with progress on schedule. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is finished. Harvesting is steady with good quality available. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is slowing seasonally. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting is complete. Picking is steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting remains active with some producers finished. WATERMELONS: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is winding down. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is starting to slow seasonally. North--Growers continue to prepare land for planting. 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.