Information Sourced from the USDA // Photo Sourced on Unsplash
Weather
Average low temperatures for California ranged from 63 to 82 in the Central Valley, 31 to 70 in the mountains, 51 to 73 along the coast, and 51 to 93 in the desert. Average high temperatures for the state ranged from 47 to 102 in the mountains, 63 to 109 along the coast, 63 to 114 in the desert, and 75 to 113 in the Central Valley.
Field Crops
High temperatures continued to cause a great need for irrigation. In Siskiyou County, alfalfa was cut, dried, and baled. In Sutter County, growers prepared to begin sunflower harvest. In the Sacramento Valley, rice development continued. Sunflower harvest was underway. In Stanislaus County, silage corn was harvested and sprayed for weeds. Alfalfa was harvested. In the San Joaquin Valley, the cotton crop made good progress as bolls were cracking open. Cotton producers scouted for pests and prepared their equipment for the upcoming harvest. In Tulare County, summer row crop season was in full swing. Corn for silage was chopped. Alfalfa was cut, raked, and baled.
Fruit Crops
Grapes were in many stages of development. Crews thinned vineyards to allow for additional sunlight exposure, better bunch formation, and improved color. The table grape harvest was ramping up as growers were concerned about the upcoming storm and its impact on quality. Development of wine grapes continued but was delayed due to the unseasonably cool spring and early summer. Wine grape vineyards were sprayed for weeds. Cherry orchards were pruned. Stone fruit harvest continued. Some growers placed reflective tarps on orchard floors to improve color in developing fruit. Kiwifruit vineyards continued leafing out and were tied and irrigated. Pomegranates and persimmons continued to develop. Gala apples were harvested. Pear harvest was in full swing with Bartlett and Bosc varieties picked. Olive trees were trimmed. Some older blueberry fields were replaced with newer varieties. Strawberry growers were wrapping up their peak season. New crop plantings occurred in the Santa Maria area. Valencia and Navel oranges, grapefruit, and mandarins were picked and packed. Lemon harvest was wrapping up. Some orange trees were topped and skirted.
Nut Crops
Almond harvest continued amid concerns about the upcoming storm. Orchard floors were cleaned and trees were shaken. Walnuts, pistachios, and pecans continued to mature. Walnut orchards were sprayed for weeds.
Vegetables
Celery, onion, and garlic harvests continued. In Sutter County, processing tomato and melon harvests began. Tomato and watermelon harvests continued in the Capay Valley. Stanislaus County sweet potato, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and processing tomato harvests were ongoing. In San Joaquin County, eggplant harvest began. In Tulare County, growers continued to sell summer vegetables such as sweet corn, onions, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes. Broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, lettuce, squash, and brussel sprout harvests continued along the Central Coast. High temperatures caused concern for lettuce crop quality. Lettuce beds were prepared in Imperial County.
Livestock
Foothill rangeland and non-irrigated pasture was remained in fair to good condition as high humidity across much of the state slowed desiccation. Irrigated pasture was in good to excellent condition. Cattle grazed primarily on low and mid-elevation range. Bees were active in squash and melon fields. Sheep grazed on fallow fields and retired farmland.
