Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
▪ Collect leaves from mid-height of trees or bushes.
▪ Collect no more than two leaves per shoot and from several shoots
per tree.
▪ Shoots should be of average vigor.
▪ Shoots should receive abundant sunlight.
▪ Collect roughly 60 to 100 total leaves from at least 5 to 10 trees, if
possible, spread throughout the orchard.
▪ Place leaves inside a paper bag and allow to air dry until brittle.
Sample collecting procedures.
Collecting leaves for testing is easy and
straightforward. As with soil tests, you are looking for average values across
many trees, if possible. Sample and test each variety separately because dif-
ferent fruit varieties of a single crop often show differences in foliar nutri-
ent concentrations. Do not sample soon after a cover spray of macro- or mi-
cronutrients or materials such as kelp or fish emulsion.
Collect only from typical trees. If most trees in a planting appear healthy
and one or a few isolated trees do not, it is unlikely that the problem is being
caused by nutrient deficiencies or excesses and is more likely to be pests, dis-
eases, or localized irrigation or soil problems. All of the trees sampled should
be the same age.
Sample from the mid-height of the trees or bushes, typically about 5 to
7 feet above the ground for mature fruit trees and 3 to 6 feet for young
trees. Collect samples from the middle portion of shoots, taking no more than
about two leaves per shoot, and from several shoots per tree. The shoots
should be of average vigor for the trees. Do not collect spur leaves or leaves
from excessively vigorous or weak shoots, such as those near pruning cuts.
