Tag: California Crop/Weather Report

Sacramento, Calif., (January 23, 2018) – Northern California experienced intermittent rainfall, with snow accumulation occurring at higher elevations, until high pressure brought drier conditions at the end of the week. Central and Southern California experienced heavy precipitation earlier in the week as a strong Pacific storm system moved through the area and eventually gave way to drier conditions for the remainder of the week.

Temperature highs ranged in the 50s to 60s in the mountains, 60s to 70s in the valley and the desert, and 60s to 80s along the coast. Temperature lows were between 20s and 30s in the mountains, 20s to 40s in the desert, 30s to 40s in the valley, and 30s to 50s along the coast.

Winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, other cereal grains and forage mixes continued to be planted and seed shipments received. Irrigation was still necessary to maintain growth of those plantings that have germinated. Alfalfa were growing well.

Pruning continued in stone fruit orchards and vineyards. Persimmon harvest continued. Some older, poorly producing orchards and vineyards were removed and prepared for replanting.  Winter dormant sprays were applied to some orchards. Navel orange harvest continued.  Pomelos were harvested. Olive growers continued to prune groves.

Pruning continued in nut orchards. Some older orchards were pushed out and the ground was prepped for planting. Herbicides were applied in somepistachio groves.

Fields were being prepared and planted with winter vegetable crops. Lettuce benefitted from the recent rain and growth looks ideal. Land preparation was ongoing for tomatoes. The spring carrot crop has not emerged, while winter carrots were scheduled to be planted in two weeks. Weed control was done on organic onion while convention onions were continued to be irrigated. The garlic stand was established, but it could benefit greatly with some rain to continue growing.

Rangeland and non-irrigated pasture were reported to be primarily in poor to very poor condition. Recent precipitation was beneficial to forage development, but conditions remain poor until more growth occurs. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued. Sheep grazed on idle crop land, stubble fields, and dormant alfalfa fields. Beehives overwintering in Fresno County were given supplemental feeding.

Sacramento, Calif., (January 9, 2018) – At the beginning of last week, most of the State experienced mild temperatures and mostly dry conditions. At midweek a frontal system brought periodic rainfall and thunderstorms to the northern and central regions of the state, higher elevations received some snow. As the frontal system steadily pushed inland, precipitation slowly tapered off and slightly cooler, drier conditions arrived. Southern California experienced dry conditions last week with above normal temperatures.

Temperature highs ranged in the 50s to 60s in the mountains, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s along the coast and in the desert. Temperature lows were between 10s and 40s in the mountains, and 20s to 40s in the desert, and 30s to 40s in the valley and along the coast.

Fields that were planted earlier in the season had signs of good growth but most fields were irrigated due to the lack of rain to maintain growth. Winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, other cereal grains and forage mixes continued to be planted and seed shipments received. Irrigation was still necessary to maintain growth of those plantings that have germinated. Alfalfa went dormant, and fields were treated with herbicides or grazed by sheep.

Pruning dormant stone fruit started to reach completion. Persimmons continued to be harvested. Some older, poorly producing orchards and vineyards were removed and prepared for replanting.  Wine grapes were pruned and tied, along with having herbicides applied. Some growers prepared to apply winter dormant sprays.  The Navel orange harvest continued.  Pomelos were harvested.  Olive growers continued to prune groves.  Strawberry fields continued to thrive.

Winter shake for almonds finished. Pruning continued in nut orchards.  Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and pecans continued to be packed and shipped primarily to foreign markets.  Some older orchards were pushed out and the ground was prepped for planting.

Winter vegetables were being harvested. Some fields were being prepared and planted with addition winter vegetable crops.  Lettuce continued to grow.  Garlic and onion planting continued.  Harvested for winter greens such as cabbage, chard, collard greens, kale, parsley, and daikon continued.  Head and leaf lettuce has been planted for the spring 2018 crop.  Broccoli, celery, and spinach continued to grow nicely.  Asparagus fields were shredded in preparation for spring growth.  Lettuce and arugula seed were exported to foreign marketplaces. Tomato beds were prepared. The carrot planting was ongoing, while the fall carrots have not been harvested yet.

In San Joaquin County, sheep continued to graze on idle crop land, stubble fields, and dormant alfalfa fields.  Supplemental feeding of livestock continued as grasslands and rangeland lacked moisture.  In Fresno County, the lack of rainfall has left rangeland forage conditions poor.  Supplemental feeding continued.  Bare-root roses were being received and processed for reshipment out-of-state, mostly to Texas.  Bare-root berries were being received at wholesale nurseries.  Nursery shipments have slowed due to the winter weather and time of year.  Beehives were reported overwintering around Fresno County and were being given supplemental feedings.  Most feedlots were reported at full capacity.

Sacramento, Calif., (October 24, 2017) – Parts of the State saw rainfall for the first time in a couple of weeks, with reports of almost two inches of rain near the California/Oregon border. The south coast had reports of little to no rain.

Temperature highs were in the 60s to 70s in the mountains, 70s to 100s along the coast, 80s to 90s in the valley, and 80s to 100s in the desert. Temperature lows were in the 20s to 30s in the mountains, 30s to the 50s in the desert, 30s to 60s along the coast, and 40s to 50s in the valley.

Alfalfa fields continued to be cut and baled. Sorghum fields were being harvested. Cotton was being harvested for lint and seed, and farmers were expecting a decent yield. Most summer crops have been harvested, and fields were being worked and fertilized for winter planting.

Stone fruit season was essentially finished. A few old orchards were pushed out. Soil amendments were applied to some stone fruit orchards. Pear, kiwifruit and pomegranate harvest continued. Table grape harvest was winding down. Thompson seedless grapes were rolled and picked up for raisins. Persimmon harvest began, with the cooler weather helping with external color. Early navel oranges were being picked and tested for maturity. Citrus orchards were being skirted and trimmed for the coming season. Some orange groves were being pushed out to make way for new plantings.Lemons were being picked. The heavy olive crop continued to be harvested.

The almond harvest is all but finished for the season. A few groves still had nuts on the ground. Walnut and pistachio harvests continued.

Broccoli and Brussel sprout harvests continued. Certified producers were picking tomatoes, sweet corn, okra, cucumbers, squash, and peppers. Commercial plantings of Yellow squash, eggplant, Bell peppers, chili peppers, and cucumbers were being harvested and shipped domestically. Fall vegetables were developing well and some early varieties are almost ready for harvest. Pumpkin patches looked very mature and are ready for picking.

Non-irrigated and foothill rangeland forage was reported to be in poor to very poor condition. Supplemental feeding of cattle was ongoing. Cattle continued to be moved down from high elevation range. Sheep grazed harvested grain fields in Tulare County.

Sacramento, Calif., (September 19, 2017) – A changing pattern marked the week’s weather across the State as a trough over the western United States brought cooler temperatures and a taste of fall to most areas. The week started off with temperatures similar to what we have seen the last several weeks, but by mid-week through the weekend temperatures decreased.

Scattered showers were seen throughout most of the State on Monday. Brief heavy downpours resulted in precipitation spikes exceeding one inch in isolated areas, particularly around Tahoe. Most areas in the Sierras received up to half an inch of rain for the week, with most other areas receiving up to a quarter inch last week. A few sprinkles lingered on Thursday before the weekend brought dry weather to the State. A few light showers fell on the northwestern parts of the State on Sunday, dropping up to a quarter inch there. Additional light sprinkles were seen just south of the San Francisco area on Sunday. Despite frost in parts of the mountains, no measurable snow has fallen in the mountains. Patchy snow fields were still coating the peak of Shasta as well as sheltered, high-elevation areas in the Lassen Volcanoes area, with maximum depth around one foot.

Temperature highs were in the 50s to 70s in the mountains, 60s to 70s along the coast, 70s to 80s in the valley, and 80s to 90s in the desert. Temperature lows were in the 30s to 40s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast and the valley, and 50s to 70s the desert.

Cotton bolls were starting to open. Alfalfa fields continued to be irrigated and baled. Sorghum for silage was in various stages. Corn silage continued to be harvested.

Stone fruit harvest was drawing to a close. Wine, table, and raisin grape harvest was ongoing. Raisin grapes continued to be placed on trays for drying. Asian Pears, pears, figs, and pomegranates were harvested. Kiwifruit in Tulare County were nearing maturity. Cherry orchards were pruned. Persimmons continued to gain size and coloring. Valencia oranges andlemons were harvested and packed. Some orange groves were pushed out to make way for new plantings. Early applevarieties were harvested.

The almond harvest continued. Walnut orchards were being prepared for harvest and sprayed for husk fly and Navel orangeworm. A few walnuts were harvested. Growth regulator sprays were applied to some walnut groves to promote development. Pistachio harvest continued.

In San Joaquin County, the onion harvest was nearly complete.  Harvest continued for honeydew melons, watermelons, cantaloupes and pumpkins.  Farmers’ Market vegetables continued to be harvested.   In Fresno County, tomato harvest was almost done with diminished yields reported.  Bell pepper harvest was ongoing.  Soil was prepared for planting carrotsand lettuce for seed.  These efforts were complicated by recent rains and wind.  In Tulare County, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers were picked by certified producers and sold at the local Farmers’ Markets.  Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers were harvested and shipped domestically.  Fall vegetables were planted and developing well.  Pumpkins were prepared for harvest.

Non-irrigated and foothill rangeland was essentially all dry after months of high heat. Supplemental feeding of cattle continued. Fire season continued and some rangeland in Santa Barbara County was burned. Bees were being moved out of state as pollination needs were wrapping up for the year.

Sacramento, Calif., (September 12, 2017) – Hot weather continued, but enough moisture moved into the state to drive scattered showers across the mountains and northern valley. Additional monsoon showers were seen in the deserts.  Most areas that saw rain saw less than half an inch, although a few heavier downpours led to nearly an inch of rainfall in isolated locations. Patchy snow continued at elevated, sheltered areas in the Lassen Volcanic Park, with a maximum depth of up to a foot. In addition, there was still one to three feet of snow on the peak of Shasta.

Temperature highs were in the 60s to 80s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, and 90s to 100s in the valley and desert.  Temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

Rice was nearly completely headed. Alfalfa fields continued to be irrigated, cut and baled. Sorghum for silage was in various stages of development. Cotton was being irrigated and bolls continued to develop. Black-eyed beans were drying and nearing harvest.

Stone fruit harvest was nearly complete.  Harvest of some late variety stone fruit orchards continued.  Wine, table, and raisingrape harvest was ongoing.  Harvest of some early wine grape varieties was complete.  Raisin grapes continued to be placed on trays for drying.  Pomegranate harvest continued.  Persimmons continued to gain size and change color.  Valencia oranges and lemons were harvested and packed.  Early apple varieties were harvested.

The almond harvest continued.  Walnut orchards were being prepared for harvest and sprayed for husk fly and orangeworm.  Ethephon sprays were applied to some walnut groves.  Pistachio harvest continued.

In Colusa County, the processing tomato harvest continued.  Reported issues included both mold and excessive quantities of green tomatoes.  In San Joaquin County, harvest continued for honeydew melons, watermelons, cantaloupes, pumpkin, squash, and processing tomatoes.  Farmers Market vegetables continue to be harvested and offered for sale.   In Monterey County, the weather was hot, which affected lettuce growth.  Seedstem showed up in romaine and iceberg lettuce.  Continued heat and cloudy conditions expected next week may continue to impact the harvest.  In San Mateo County, beans were harvested.  Pumpkins started reaching maturity.  In Tulare County, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers were picked by certified producers and sold at the local Farmers Markets.  Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers were harvested and shipped domestically.  Fall vegetables were planted and developing well.

Rangeland and dryland pastures continued to decrease in nutritive value necessitating supplemental feeding of livestock. Sheep continued to graze retired cropland as well as harvested melon and vegetable fields.  Bees were still active in squash fields.