The clinic provides fast, accurate, professional services to help you solve plant problems. To increase speed and accuracy, please keep a few things in mind when you submit samples:
Sample Collection
- Send plant material samples that show various stages of damage and the different parts of the plant affected.
- Early symptoms of the problem are often easiest to identify. Include samples showing increasing levels of damage. Areas that are completely dead often contain secondary organisms that may hinder detection of the primary pathogen.
- Look for areas that display the margin between dead and healthy tissue.
- If submitting seedlings, fruits or vegetables, send multiple examples.
- It is important that you try to collect the sample prior to any pesticide applications. Once pesticides have been applied it may be difficult to obtain an accurate diagnosis.
- See special directions for nematode samples below.
Packaging
- Wrap the sample loosely in an unsealed plastic bag and package it in a sturdy shipping container. Tape all openings.
- Loosely pack branches, stems and leaves in a plastic bag.
- Shake soil off bare root plants and wrap the roots with plastic.
- Pack roots separately from branches, shoots, or foliage.
- Wrap potted plants with plastic or paper to minimize soil movement onto leaves during shipment.
- Do not water plants or moisten packaging material.
- If sample is from outside of New York State, double bag infected plant material in two heavy, sealable plastic bags (i.e. Two Zip-lock Freezer Bags) before placing in a sturdy shipping container. Any viable plant material from outside of New York State should be placed in cloth or paper bags and then place into plastic bags before placing in a sturdy shipping container for shipment.
Submission
- Please fill out and include the Submission Form with your sample.
- Provide the host plant scientific and common names and include cultivars, if known.
- Provide as much information on the form as possible. This will help ensure an accurate diagnosis of the problem. Describe the pattern of damage of the entire area and how an individual plant or plant part is affected. Are all plants affected or just one? Are the leaves all brown or just the margin or just spotted areas?
- Include cultural information such as watering, fertilizing, mowing conditions, recent rainfall amounts, etc.
- Do your best to provide a complete picture of the situation. Include photographs or send digital images with your submission showing patterns of damage and the surroundings of the site.
- For fast results, include your fax number or email address and indicate your preferred contact method.
- If sending numerous samples for which individual answers are needed, package each sample separately and assign a unique identifier. Consider using short descriptions such as
“driveway garden” or “42nd street tree.” - If submitting multiple samples from one garden, yard or field, include a map and assign letters or numbers for sample location
Shipment
- Mail the sample as quickly as possible. If the sample cannot be mailed immediately, keep it refrigerated or out of direct sunlight.
- There is no mail delivery at Cornell on weekends or holidays. To make sure your sample will get processed as soon as it arrives, collect and ship so that we receive it no later than Friday morning during a regular week. During weeks with a major holiday, please call ahead to find out the best time to ship.
- User the correct shipping address:
Payment
- Please include a check for the appropriate fee made out to Cornell University. We cannot process samples until we have received full payment
- To pay for your completed and invoiced sample submission using a credit card please use the secure link printed on your invoice. Please do not use the link to pre-pay samples that have not yet been invoiced.
- Please feel free to call the clinic with any questions prior to your sample submission. The clinic staff works hard to provide you with fast, accurate results. Providing answers to your important questions prior to sample submission may enable us to get you the answers you need on a timely basis.
Nematode sampling
The procedure for collecting samples for nematode analysis varies slightly:
- The best time of year for nematode analyses is during the active growing season.
- A minimum of 6 soil sub-samples, approximately 1″ in diameter and 4″ in depth, should be collected from an area that is approximately one acre in size.
- If sampling from an individual specimen, collect the soil subsamples from within the dripline of the tree’s canopy.
- Mix the soil thoroughly and submit about 1 pint of the soil mixture.
- If a foliar nematode is suspected, it is best to send in the whole plant
The ABCDs of submitting samples for accurate and timely results
Ask questions prior to submitting a sample.
- Review this this page and/or call us if you are unsure to determine what type of material you should include in the sample.
- Check with staff to determine if holidays may interfere with the receipt of samples.
Be observant.
- Look around the area of concern.
- Note characteristics of the damage.
- Stand back and consider the big picture, then note the damage to the entire site, on individual plants and on individual plant parts.
Collect a quality, representative sample.
- Gather material with a broad range of symptoms including early to late stages of symptom expression
- Collect material prior to any pesticide applications.
Details should be provided with the sample material.
- Fill out the submission form carefully and completely.
- Describe the situation with details about when it first occurred, the plant(s) affected and level of damage.
- Include the location and date of collection.
- Always include all your contact information so the diagnostician can contact you with questions and provide you with answers efficiently.
Shipping of material for analysis.
- Send material using the fastest means possible.
- Ship early in the week to avoid your sample spending the weekend in a post office or warehouse.
- If you can’t send material immediately, keep it refrigerated until you can.