Shipping Instructions
Submission sheets: Please print and mail the Submission Sheet when sending samples to the lab.
Shipping: All plant material should be placed in plastic bag with a dry paper towel. Except fruit which should be wrapped in newspaper or other paper.
Send samples immediately after collecting. Keep samples cold if not able to mail immediately. Mail packages to arrive on weekdays (Monday through Friday) rather than weekends or holidays.
Dead plants cannot be cultured for pathogens, they are too far gone.
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Plant-specific sampling recommendations
Large plants (large shrubs and trees)
- Send in a 1 to 2 foot long stem with leaves that are actively symptomatic.
- Send in young small roots in separate plastic bag.
- Keep roots separate from the leaves to not get soil on the leaves.
- For localized infection, such as cankers, leaf spots, rots, send samples representing early and moderate stages of disease. For cankers, include healthy portions from above and below diseased areas.
Smaller plants (small shurbs, vegetables, ground covers, flowers)
- Entire plants are needed to evaluate root rotting pathogens.
- Enclose all materials in plastic bags.
- Wrap roots in aluminum foil before placing whole plants in a plastic bag.
Lawn and turf
- Send in a 4 inch diameter by 4 inch deep sample. A post hole digger works well
- keep samples intact, and wrap with foil or plastic wrap.
- Make sure to sample a section that is in the transition from good to bad.
- Dead dead samples are too far gone to diagnose.
Suspected Herbicide Damage
We cannot confirm herbicide damage. Please visit the Tennessee Department of Agriculture if you suspect you are dealing with herbicide injury.
Mold, Structural Wood, or Fell Tree Decay
We do not test for household mold, structural wood decay, or fell tree wood decay.