Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Clean one sample at a time, taking care not to mix different samples to-
gether. Use distilled water, available at most drug stores, for washing
and rinsing the samples. Change the water if it becomes dirty or after 8
to 10 samples (whichever occurs first).
1.
Gently and lightly scrub the leaves together in a mild detergent
solution (most dishwashing detergents are satisfactory).
2.
Shake the leaves to remove excess water, and immediately rinse
them in clean distilled water. Shake the leaves again to remove
excess water.
3.
Immediately rinse the sample again in clean distilled water.
Shake the leaves to remove excess water.
4.
Spread out the leaves on clean paper towels until the leaf sur-
faces are dry.
5.
Transfer each sample to its own, individual paper bag. Leave the
bag tops open, and dry the samples at room temperature until
the leaves are brittle.
Analyzing test results.
Interpreting foliar analyses is generally straightfor-
ward. Much research has been conducted on commercial orchard crops, and
tables showing recommended foliar nutrient concentrations are available.
Most tables list ranges of concentrations, from deficient to adequate to ex-
cessive. In general, you want to be in the adequate range. Because organic
orchard systems perform best with less nitrogen than in conventional orch-
ards, you will want the nitrogen values to fall toward the lower end of the ad-
