Pome Fruit Tree Leaves

When to Sample:

• 75 days ± 5 days after 50% of the flowers have opened, or
• 105 days ± 5 days after 50% of the flowers have opened, or
• 135 days ± 5 days after 50% of the flowers have opened.

Where: From 25 healthy and uniform trees that are representative of the plot.

How: Choose the current year's shoots that are representative of the tree's vigor and average growth (remove "suckers"). Sample at arm's height, from both sides of the fruiting hedges or from all four sides of the crown.

Quantity: One leaf (or two if small) from the middle of the shoot; from 4 shoots per tree, totaling 100 leaves.

Conditioning: Place the batch of leaves in a clean, sturdy plastic bag. Label each batch clearly with: Name, address, variety, rootstock, date of sampling, and plot reference.

Precautions: Avoid sampling from diseased, poorly formed trees, or from the edge of the plot. Sample as far away as possible from treatment periods.