Turf Plant Tissue Testing
Diagnose deficiencies and treat turf before physical symptoms appear.
Tissue testing provides a snapshot of your turf’s nutrient status at the time of sample collection. This can be helpful if you’re wanting to understand and track the nutrient status throughout the season, or are trying to pinpoint a specific problem. If deficiencies persist despite fertilization, cross-reference your results by testing your turf irrigation water source.
Talk to one of our turf experts for more information on our packages and services.
Soil Testing Packages:
Complete – nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, sulfur, zinc, manganese, copper, iron, boron, aluminum
Additional analyses available upon request:
- Nitrate
- Ammonium
- Molybdenum
- Chloride
Turnaround time for plant tissue analysis is one working day. AgSource has two reporting options to fit your specific needs.
AgSource Laboratories Report Options:
Summary Report – displays historical tissue test results over a span of time, allowing you to make side-by-side comparisons to monitor nutrient uptake throughout the season. Ideal for customers who are adjusting their fertilization throughout the growing season.
Standard Report – graphs test levels as low, optimum or high. One sample displayed per report page.
Results are available online, via email or standard mail, with data available in a variety of formats including Excel, PDF or CSV files.
A good sample is the foundation to an accurate analysis. In most situations, samples are taken from the clippings during regular mowing cycles. While this type of sampling will work, it is important that samples do not have fertilizer, lime and sand contamination. For best results, follow our basic sampling reminders.
AgSource Laboratories Tissue Sampling Reminders:
- Submit clean, undamaged leaf blades in a paper bag from actively growing turf.
- Loosely pack the sample in a paper bag to allow for air circulation – do not use plastic
- Label every bag, matching the sample submission form with the samples
- Include your account number on the sample submission form
- When testing for suspected nutrient element deficient plants, take two samples whenever possible – one from the normal plants, the other from the abnormal
- Supplement your tissue test with a soil test – this may uncover additional clues about suspected issues
One cup of fresh clippings is needed to perform analysis
AgSource Turf Plant Tissue Companion Service
Turf Soil and Soil Health Testing
Soil and soil health testing provides a nutrient roadmap to make the best turf management decisions to optimize turf health and longevity. For synthetic or amended turf root zones, combine tissue diagnostics with soilless media testing.
