Periodic tissue sampling throughout the growing season for real-time snapshots of plant health and nutrient status.
See what's actually happening inside your plants, not just what's in the soil.
Soil tests tell you what's available in the soil, but plant tissue analysis tells you what the plant is actually taking up. This is critical because nutrient availability doesn't always translate to plant uptake—factors like pH, water, temperature, and root health all affect absorption.
Complete nutrient profile from plant tissue samples
Current nitrogen uptake and plant availability
Phosphorus concentration affecting root development
K levels impacting water regulation and disease resistance
Secondary nutrients critical for cell structure
Iron, Zinc, Manganese, Boron, and Copper levels
Essential for protein synthesis and enzyme function
Timing is critical for accurate plant tissue analysis
By the time nutrient deficiencies show visible symptoms—yellowing leaves, stunted growth, poor fruit set—significant yield loss has already occurred. Plant tissue analysis catches these problems early, when corrections can still make a difference.
Sample during active growth, typically mid-morning after dew has dried but before afternoon heat stress. For most crops, collect the most recently mature leaf. Timing varies by crop—wine grapes are often sampled at bloom and veraison, while vegetables may need sampling every 2-3 weeks during rapid growth.
This varies by crop. For most broadleaf crops, sample the most recently mature leaf with petiole. Grapes: petioles at bloom, leaf blades at veraison. Tree crops: leaves from current season's growth. We provide crop-specific sampling instructions to ensure accurate results.
Soil tests show what nutrients are available in the soil. Tissue tests show what the plant actually absorbed. A nutrient might be present in soil but locked up by pH or antagonism. Tissue analysis reveals these uptake problems that soil tests alone can't detect.
Foliar applications can correct deficiencies within days to weeks, depending on the nutrient and crop stage. Soil applications take longer but address root-zone issues. The key is catching deficiencies early—tissue testing lets you correct problems while there's still time to impact yield.
Collect 30-50 leaves or petioles per sample from a uniform area. Avoid damaged, diseased, or atypical plants. For large blocks, sample separately by variety, rootstock, or soil type. Combine samples into a composite that represents the area you're evaluating.
Contact us to set up a plant tissue sampling program for your operation.