fl-crop-weather Week ending October 24, 1999 Released 4:00 P.M. October 25, 1999 WEATHER SUMMARY: Cooler weather arrived during the last part of the week of October 17 through 23 when low temperatures across inland areas of the northern and central Peninsula dipped into the 40s and 50s. Temperatures for the week averaged from one degree above normal at Tampa and Miami to two degrees below at Pensacola with most averages normal. Highs were mostly in the 70s and 80s. Scattered storms brought from traces to almost two inches of rain. FIELD CROPS: Moisture in the southern Peninsula was adequate to surplus with many areas flooded after Hurricane Irene. Topsoil moisture in the rest of the State is mostly short to adequate with scattered areas of very short or surplus moisture. In some areas peanut harvest and fall forage planting were delayed by dry soil. Cotton harvest is active. Hay growth is improving with increased moisture. Haying is active. Soybean harvest is active. Tobacco markets closed on October 19. Sugarcane was knocked down by Hurricane Irene on October 15. The sugarcane grinding was delayed by wet fields. Ninety-five 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 1 1 1 Short 5 17 4 16 Adequate 40 25 48 30 Surplus 55 57 47 53 LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Winter (small grain) forage planting is underway in the northern and Panhandle counties. However, forage planting was delayed in several Panhandle counties due to dry soil conditions. The pasture condition in the north was declining seasonally. An outbreak of armyworms was noted in Lake County. Pastures in the west-central and southern counties were still quite wet from Hurricane Irene, with some reporting standing water. Cattle and calves were 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 5 0 5 Fair 35 40 20 25 Good 65 55 75 70 Excellent 0 0 5 0 CITRUS: Most of this week was dry except for Thursday when a cold front passed through the citrus belt with showers and rain during the day. Rainfall was generally in the 0.50 to 1 inch range in most areas. Saturday and Sunday were the coolest days of the Fall season with low temperatures in the mornings around 50 degrees. Virtually all the citrus groves have adequate moisture levels. However, some east coast and lower interior groves still have excessive moisture conditions. Most of the early types of fruit are showing various stages of on-tree color break. Harvest is increasing for Navels, Ambersweet and Hamilin oranges, early tangerines, grapefruit and K-Early citrus fruit. Three processors were open and running this week. Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops in all areas. Spraying and fertilizing were reported in most counties. Growers are grading and filling holes in roads that were left from the heavy rains of Hurricane Irene. Dead trees are being removed and burned. Some resets are being planted in the larger groves. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Oct 10 Oct 17 Oct 24 Navel oranges 33,000 25,000 88,000 Early & Mid oranges including Ambersweet 66,000 68,000 139,000 All grapefruit 301,000 297,000 476,000 Tangerines 83,000 107,000 157,000 K-Early Citrus Fruit 0 1,000 3,000 VEGETABLES: Milder weather allowed some crops to recover from Hurricane Irene's damage. Tomato picking started along the southeastern coast while watermelon and pepper harvesting began around Immokalee. Vegetables marketed during the week include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, pickles, squash, sweet corn, okra, eggplant, and watermelons. SNAP BEANS: Dade--Growers disced drained fields flooded by rain from Hurricane Irene. Producers are saving some plants in high spots with reduced production expected. Planting is active. Southwest--Crop condition is poor to fair with some plants showing wind damage. Planting continues at a steady pace. East Coast--The crop is in fair condition. Strong wind and excess water from Irene hindered plant development with some bloom and foliage loss. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is finished. CABBAGE: West Central--Transplanting is active. Crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and development are normal. Hastings, North Central--Transplanting is active. Growth and development are normal. Crop is in good condition. CELERY: Everglades--Over half of the crop was lost to hurricane damage with producers trying to salvage oldest plants. Planting is active. SWEET CORN: North--Harvesting is active. East Coast-- Milder weather is helping plants recover from Irene's flooding. Dade--Most planting is expected to start in November. A small acreage recently planted is expected to recover from flooding which drained rapidly after the storm passed. CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is increasing with fair to good quality available. Sizes are variable. Color is good. East Coast-- Crop condition is fair. Irene's winds caused bloom loss and broke off some vines. Planting resumed mid-week. Southwest--Crop condition is fair. Most acreage is on old tomato plastic which provided dead stems or stakes as anchors from the storm's wind. Planting is steady. PICKLES: Zellwood--Picking remains active. West Central-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is increasing with fair to good quality available. Color is fair. Sizes are variable. Yield is below normal. Dade--Oldest acreage was lost to storm damage. Growers hope to save younger fields but reduced yield is expected. EGGPLANT: East Coast--Plants continued to recover from the previous week's storm damage. Dade--Most acreage is expected to recover. Some fields show wind-burned leaves. A limited acreage was lost to flooding. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is steady. Harvesting is gaining momentum. Quality is fair to good. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. U-Pic harvesting is underway. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--The crop suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Irene with high losses expected. LETTUCE: Everglades--Most acreage suffered heavy storm damage with high losses anticipated. OKRA: Dade--Young fields are in good condition. Harvesting of a small volume remains active. PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Planting is steady. Harvesting started. East Coast--Crop condition varies from poor to fair to mostly good with some fields showing less storm damage than others. Yield prospects are reduced. Transplanting resumed mid-week. Harvesting is active with mostly good quality available. Workers repaired plastic blown by the storm, cleaned wash outs and "shovel ditches", made some spot resets of younger plants, leveled land, laid plastic, and sprayed. West Central--Crop condition is rated fair to good. POTATOES: Dade--Growers are starting to prepare ground for planting. West Central_Planting is gaining momentum. The crop is in fair condition. Growth and development are normal. Southwest--Planting is underway. RADISHES: Everglades--Flooding caused a total loss of most acreage. Planting is active. SQUASH: Southwest--The crop is in poor to fair condition with broken leaves and scarred fruit resulting from the storm. Planting is steady. Harvesting is gaining momentum. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is nearing the end. East Coast--Crop condition is poor to fair with bloom loss and scarred fruit lowering yield prospects. STRAWBERRIES: Palmetto-Ruskin, Plant City--Crop condition is good. Planting is increasing seasonally. TOMATOES: Quincy--Harvesting continued. Quality is mostly good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Fruit set is fair. Fruit sizing is slow. Harvesting stopped but is expected to resume over the next two weeks. East Coast--Crop condition is variable. Most young fields will recover from Irene's damage. Transplanting resumed mid-week. Harvesting started with variable quality and sizes available. Yield prospects are below normal. Southwest--The crop is in mostly fair condition. Fields in eastern Collier and Hendry counties suffered heavy bloom loss with some fruit blown off broken vines. Plants are expected to recover but yield will be reduced. Scheduled planting is active. Dade--Condition is poor. Water drained from plants flooded by Irene's rain with recovery expected. Planting slowed with most growers repairing plastic damaged by Irene's winds and flooding. CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair to good. Picking continues to increase seasonally. Quality and color are good. Sizes are normal. Southwest--The crop is in fair condition. Planting is steady. PLUM TOMATOES: Quincy--Picking is active. Quality is mostly good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking started with fair to good quality available. Southwest-- Crop condition is fair. Planting continues at a steady pace. WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition remains fair. Harvesting is increasing. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are small to medium. Southwest--Condition is fair. Irene's wind broke leaves on vines with most to recover. Picking started with fair quality available. 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.