– Rain: The last week of 2013 brought very limited precipitation – only half an inch of rain (14.8 mm) with light drizzles almost every day of the week.
– Temperature: We had sunny hot days but seasonally cool nights. Minimum temperature reached 20.6°C (72.5°F) -1.9 degrees Celsius lower than last week, but the average temperature was very similar to prior week – 26.5°C (79.8°F) reflecting the hot and sunny days. The soil temperature reached 26°C (78.8°F). Relative humidity averaged 81.1% – very low for this time of the year. Solar radiation was intense most of the week.
– Observations: Week 52’s nighttime temperatures decreased significantly, bringing increased risk of having a natural flowering event. The variance between day and night temperatures was significant enough to cause stress to soon to be forced plants. On the other hand, we strive to have the best possible sugar content at harvest but when it exceeds 15 the risk of internal quality issues especially on long trips is heightened. For this reason we have embarked on a harvest age reduction process but in a cautious manner, guarding against a sudden change to the more typical winter climate that would slow fruit growth and force us to once again increase harvest age. This is the annual balancing act that we perform year on year.