Plant Sampling Schedule
Crop |
When to Sample |
Plant Part to Sample |
Number of |
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| Alfalfa | Early growth up to 1/10 Bloom stage | Entire top 15 cm of plant | 45-55 |
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| Apple | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Apricot | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Beans | Seedling stage | Entire above ground portion | 25-30 |
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| Beans | Before or during initial flowering | Youngest mature leaves from the top of the plant | 25-30 |
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| Beets | Before root or bulb enlargement | Centre mature leaves | 25-35 |
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| Broccoli | Before heading | First mature leaves from centre of whorl | 10-20 |
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| Cabbage | Before heading | First mature leaves from centre of whorl | 10-20 |
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| Carnations | Pinched plants | 5th and 6th leaf pair from top of primary laterals | 20-30 |
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| Carnations | Unpinched plants | 4th and 5th leaf pair from terminal of plant | 20-30 |
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| Carrots | Before root or bulb enlargement | Centre mature leaves | 25-35 |
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| Celery | Early to mid-growth | Petiole and leaf of youngest mature leaf | 20-30 |
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| Cereal Grains | Prior to heading | First 4 leaf blades from top of plant | 30-40 |
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| Cereal Grains | Seedling stage (less than 30 cm) |
All the above ground portion of plant | 50-75 |
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| Cherry | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Chrysanthemums | Before and during early flowering | Youngest mature leaves on flowering stem | 20-30 |
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| Clover and Other Legumes |
Prior to bloom | Mature leaf blades about 1/3 of the way down the plant top | 50-60 |
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| Coffee | Early to mid-season | Mature leaves of current year's growth | 40-50 |
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| Confer | In spring, when it has about 2 inches of new growth | Collect 2 inches of new tip growth (entire tip including stem). Collect from the same side of the tree at the same height on each tree. | approx. 30 tips |
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| Corn | Seedling stage (less than 30 cm tall) | All the above ground portion | 25-30 |
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| Corn | Just before tasselling | The fully developed leaf below the whorl | 15-20 |
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| Corn | Tasselling to silking | The leaf at the ear node or the one above or below it | 15-20 |
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| Cotton | Early growth, at first bloom and when first squares appear | Youngest fully mature leaves on main stem | 30-35 |
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| Cucumber | Early stage of growth prior to fruit set | 4th to 6th leaf from terminal on main stem | 20-25 |
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| Cucurbits (Cucumber, Melons, etc.) | Early stage of growth prior to fruit set | 4th to 6th leaf from terminal on main stem | 20-25 |
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| Deciduous Fruit (Apple, Apricot, Almond, Cherry. Peach, Pear, Prune) | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Forage and Pasture Grasses |
Before head emergence or at the stage of best quality | The uppermost leaf blades | 50-60 |
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| Grains(Small, Including Rice) | Seedling stage(less than 30 cm) | All the above ground portion of plant | 50-75 |
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| Grains(Small, Including Rice) | Prior to heading | First 4 leaf blades from top of plant | 30-40 |
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| Grapes | During bloom period | Leaves and petioles opposite the flower cluster | 75-100 |
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| Head Crops(Cabbage, etc) | Before heading | First mature leaves from center of whorl | 10-20 |
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| Leaf Crops (Lettuce, Spinach, etc.) | Before mid-growth | Youngest mature leaf | 30-50 |
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| Lettuce | Before mid-growth | Youngest mature leaf | 30-50 |
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| Lemon, Lime | During autumn growth flush | Mature leaves from last flush of growth on non-fruiting terminals | 30-40 |
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| Melons | Early stage of growth prior to fruit set | 4th to 6th leaf from terminal on main stem | 20-25 |
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| Milo-Sorghum | Before or at heading | 2nd leaf from top of plant | 20-25 |
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| Onions | Before root or bulb enlargement | Centre mature leaves | 25-35 |
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| Orange | During autumn growth flush | Spring cycle leaves, 4 to 7 months old from non-fruit-bearing terminals | 25-30 |
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| Ornamental Trees and Shrubs | Current year's growth | Fully mature leaves | 30-75 |
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| Peach | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Peanuts | Before or at bloom stage | Youngest fully developed leaves from top of the plant | 40-45 |
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| Pear | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Peas | Before or during initial flowering | Leaves from the 3rd node down from the top of the plant | 30-50 |
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| Pecans | After the end of terminal growth | Mature leaves from terminal shoots, taking the pairs from the middle of the leaf. | 30-45 |
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| Plum | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Potato | During vegetative growth | 3rd to 6th leaf back from growing tip | 30-50 |
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| Pineapple | During vegetative growth | Young mature leaves | 10-15 |
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| Poinsettias | Before and during early flowering | Most recently mature fully expanded leaf | 15-20 |
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| Potato | During vegetative growth | 3rd to 6th leaf back from growing tip | 30-50 |
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| Prune | Late summer just after the end of terminal growth | Youngest fully expanded leaf from non-fruiting terminals | 75-100 |
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| Radish | Before root or bulb enlargement | Centre mature leaves | 25-35 |
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| Raspberry | From early growth through mid-season | Youngest mature leaves on lateral or primary canes | 25-40 |
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| Rice | Prior to heading | First 4 leaf blades from top of plant | 30-40 |
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| Rice | Seedling stage (less than 30 cm) |
All the above ground portion of plant | 50-75 |
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| Root Crops (Carrots, Beets, Onions, etc.) | Before root or bulb enlargement | Center mature leaves | 25-35 |
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| Roses | Before and during early flowering | Upper mature leaves on the flowering stem | 25-30 |
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| Small Grains (Including Rice) | Prior to heading | First 4 leaf blades from top of plant | 30-40 |
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| Small Grains (Including Rice) | Seedling stage (less than 30 cm) | All the above ground portion of plant | 50-75 |
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| Soybeans | Or prior to or during initial flowering | Fully developed leaves at the top of the plant | 20-30 |
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| Soybeans | Seedling stage (less than 30 cm tall) | All the above ground portion | 20-30 |
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| Spinach | Before mid-growth | Youngest mature leaf | 30-50 |
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| Squash | Early stage of growth prior to fruit set | 4th to 6th leaf from terminal on main stem | 20-25 |
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| Strawberry | From early vegetative growth to early fruiting state | Youngest fully expanded mature leaves | 50-70 |
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| Sugar Beets | Before mid-season | Fully mature leaves midway between the younger center leaves and the oldest leaf whorl on the outside. | 30-35 |
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| Sugar Cane | Up to 4 months old | 4th fully developed leaf from the top of the plant. | 25-30 |
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| Sweet Corn | Before tasselling | The entire fully mature leaf below the whorl | 20-35 |
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| Tobacco | Before bloom | Uppermost fully developed leaf | 8-12 |
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| Tomato (Field) | Before early bloom stage | 3rd to 4th leaf back from growing tip | 20-35 |
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| Tomato (Greenhouse) | Before bloom | Young plants: Leaves from 2nd and 3rd clusters | 20-35 |
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| Tomato (Greenhouse) | Before bloom | Older plants: Leaves from 4th to 6th clusters | 20-35 |
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| Turf | Anytime during growing season | Leaf blades, avoid soil contamination | 500 cc of material |
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| Walnut | After the end of terminal growth | Middle leaflet pairs from mature shoots | 30-40 |