fl-crop-weather Week ending May 16, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. May 17, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: Scattered showers continued to ease dry soil conditions in many localities during the week of May 9 through 15. Rainfall totaled from traces to about three inches over central and southern Peninsula areas. Hail accompanying the storms damaged a limited acreage of vegetables. Precipitation since March 1 remains two to almost seven inches below normal at the major stations. Low temperatures were mostly in the 60s while highs were mostly in the 80s. FIELD CROPS: The Panhandle and Peninsula received limited rainfall this past week. The topsoil moisture in the Panhandle is short to adequate. Peninsula moisture is very short to short with scattered areas of adequate or surplus moisture. Growers are planting cotton and peanuts. Some replanting of peanuts and cotton occurred due to lack of moisture and related problems. Tobacco is being irrigated. Hay growth is coming back in areas that have received rain. Growers reported 49 percent of the peanuts are planted compared with 33 percent last week. Moisture Topsoil Subsoil Rating Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very short 32 15 30 17 Short 57 36 48 49 Adequate 10 46 22 34 Surplus 1 3 0 0 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture conditions in the State are mostly fair as grass growth was held back by lack of soil moisture. In the Panhandle, pasture conditions varied as recent rainfall amounts varied from location to location. In northern county pastures, conditions were very poor to fair. In some locations, pastures have been stressed to the point that some may need to be re-seeded. Other pastures were slowly making some growth in response to more favorable moisture. In central counties, pastures were still in poor condition as drought conditions are still in effect. Southwest pasture is in fair to good condition. Cattle and calves were in fair condition. Range Cattle Condition Last week This week Last week This week Percent Very poor 15 10 5 5 Poor 50 20 10 10 Fair 25 65 80 75 Good 10 5 5 10 Excellent 0 0 0 0 CITRUS: There were several scattered rains and thunderstorms during this week in most citrus producing counties. Most cover crops have turned green from the recent rains. New growth continues to show on trees of all ages. Entire groves are still blooming in most areas which is very unusual for this time of year; the bloom cycle has stretched from late February to the present. There are golfball size down to pencil eraser size fruit in all areas of the citrus belt. Harvest of Valencia oranges continues active. However, supplies are running low in some areas. Grapefruit harvest is winding down with most of the remaining fruit coming from the lower east coast. Movement of Temples and Honey tangerines is slow as very few crops remain to be picked. Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops that have started to grow with the help of recent moisture. Post bloom nutritional sprays are continuing. Limited hedging and topping are still going on in a few groves. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop May 2 May 9 May 16 Valencia oranges 5,211,000 5,513,000 4,689,000 All grapefruit 767,000 671,000 307,000 Honey Tangerines 26,000 22,000 15,000 Temples 4,000 3,000 2,000 VEGETABLES: Hail damaged a limited amount of snap beans around Immokalee and tomatoes in the Palmetto-Ruskin area. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans, blueberries, cabbage, cucumbers, sweet corn, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, parsley, peppers, pickles, potatoes, radishes, squash, tomatoes, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: North--Harvesting is becoming more active as fields reach maturation. Quality is good. Dade, Everglades-- Harvesting of a low volume continues with most growers to finish over the next seven to ten days. Quality and yield are fair. East Coast--Picking is light as the season winds down. Volume is limited. Quality and color are good. Southwest--Hail damaged a limited acreage with salvage harvesting active. Quality is poor to fair. West Central--U-Pic harvesting remains active. CABBAGE: West Central--Crop is in fair condition. Spring harvest is winding down. Quality is good. Size is medium to large. Color is good. Hastings--Harvest is winding down. The crop is in good condition. Crop growth and development are normal. Dade--Harvest is complete. Zellwood--Harvest is winding down. CARROTS: All areas--Digging is virtually finished. CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting is virtually done. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting continues with good quality available. Zellwood, North--Harvesting is active. Quality is good. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Harvesting of a very light volume for local sales is active. Dade--Harvesting is finished. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is steady with fair to good quality available. Sizes are medium to large. Color is good. Southwest-- Harvesting is steady with fair to good quality available. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Growth of young acreage is good with plants setting fruit. First picks are providing good quality, sizes and color. Other picks are yielding variable sizes. Workers are mowing and removing plastic from acreage completely picked. PICKLES: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is mostly steady with some growers finished for the season. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are normal. Zellwood-- Harvesting continues. Quality is good. Dade--Picking is virtually finished. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. First and second cuts are yielding mostly fancy and some choice grades. Quality and color are good. Workers are removing strings and stakes and mowing acreage completely harvested. West Central- -Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is mostly steady but starting to slow seasonally. Quality is fair. Sizes are variable. Volume is low. Southwest--The crop is in fair condition. Cutting is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair. Dade--Harvesting of a light volume is active. Quality is good. Yield is fair. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is virtually finished. LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is nearly finished. OKRA: Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Rainfall boosted growth and development. Harvesting continues. Volume is increasing. PEPPERS: West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is gaining momentum. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Color is good. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is fair to good. East Coast-- Crop condition is fair to good. Plant growth and pod development are good. Crown picks of green Bells are providing good quality and large sizes. Other picks of green Bells are yielding mostly good quality and variable sizes. Harvesting of specialty peppers is producing a light volume. Growers continue to clean acreage completely picked. Sumter County--Harvesting is active. POTATOES: Dade--Potato harvest is complete. Growers are clearing fields and planting cover crops. 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--Digging is slowing seasonally. Quality is good. SQUASH: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is mostly steady with some U-Pic harvesting active. Quality is fair to good. Color is good. Sizes are variable. East Coast--Harvesting of a light supply remains active. Quality and color are good. Growers continue to clean up acreage completely picked. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting is winding down. Quality is fair to good. Dade--The season is nearly finished. Harvesting of a very small volume for mainly local sales remains active. STRAWBERRIES: Dade--The season is finished. TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Harvesting is steady with volume expected to reach the peak level during the last week of May. Fruit quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Yield is fair to good. Hail damaged a limited acreage. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to good. Storms delayed some field work. Harvesting continues with good quality and sizes available. Quincy--The crop is in good condition. Plant growth is at the third string. Picking is expected to start over the next two to three weeks. Southwest--Crop condition is declining seasonally. Fruit sizing is good in the fields remaining for harvest. Picking of greens and vine ripes is active. Quality is fair to good with some gradeout due to sunburn of fruit. Dade--The season is nearly finished. Growers are picking pinks and vine ripes for the local market. Workers are removing stakes and plastic and planting cover crops in fields completely picked. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is mostly steady but starting to slow seasonally. Quality is good. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is winding down. Quality remains fair to good. PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is fair to good with normal sizes available. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is starting to slow seasonally. Fruit quality is fair to good. WATERMELONS: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is increasing seasonally. Quality is good with variable sizes available. Color is good. North--Crop condition is mostly good with rainfall continuing to aid development of the dryland acreage. Harvesting is expected to begin in some north central areas in about ten to fourteen days. 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.