Plant Tissue Sampling Guidelines

For Paid Nutrient Analyses
Ag Service Lab
Clemson University

 

Use our lab supplies for all samples and submit samples with our supplies only to our lab.

Go to Order Form to view our list of supplies.

 

  1. Do not sample pesticide, dust or soil contaminated tissue.  If all the tissue available is dusty, wash gently in flowing, clean water.

 

  1. Do not sample tissue that is diseased or damaged by insects or machinery.

 

  1. Place the plant tissue sample directly into clean paper bags or envelopes.  If the plant tissue is wet or succulent, leave out in the air one day until wilted and partially dry.  Do not put samples in plastic bags.

 

  1. When sampling suspected nutrient-deficient plants or if specific sufficiency ranges are unavailable for your plant, take two samples if possible; one from the normal tissue and the other form abnormal tissue so a comparison of the results can be made.

 

  1. When sampling, both the stage of growth and plant part collected are important.  Be sure to collect the proper plant part at the recommended stage of growth.  A sampling diagram is shown below.  If an analysis is desired on the leaf portion of the plant, only the leaves should be submitted with the stems and roots removed.

 

  1. Specific sampling instructions for various crops are given at http://www.clemson.edu/agsrvlb/plantsampling.htm .  If specific sampling instructions are not given for the crop you wish analyzed, sample leaves which are representative of the current season’s growth during the mid-period of the growth cycle or just before seed set.

 

  1. Submitting the equivalent volume of a half lunch bag of fresh tissue will insure that there will be enough sample for the desired analyses.

 

  1. If an analysis is desired on the petioles of a plant, 20-25 large petioles or 35-40 small petioles should be submitted.

 

  1. Label bag and make sure form sample number matches with sample.