Caretakers are cutting cover crops and herbiciding to control the summer weed growth. Growers are fertilizing, spraying and removing dead trees. Some resetting has been reported in the larger grove operations. Mostly clear weather allowed land preparation for fall crops to proceed on schedule. About three percent of the tomato acreage was lost to dry conditions in late July with growers replanting this lost acreage.
Tomatoes are in fair to good condition with planting slowly increasing.
Workers are making the first ties of the oldest tomato plants and spraying for the control of disease and insects. Planting of cherry and plum tomatoes is gaining momentum with both rated in fair to good condition. Watermelon planting is underway. Planting of eggplant is expected to start within the next five to seven days. Scattered rains helped ease the dry soil conditions with the laying of plastic for fall crop planting increasing.