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¶ Almond (Prunus dulcis)
¶ A: Mid-season
Plant Part: Fully-expanded, lateral (or sub-terminal) leaflets
Sampling Procedure: Collect a total of 80 to 100 leaflets from the current season's nonfruiting, nonexpanding spurs at midseason, about 6 feet from ground level. No more than 10 to 15 trees should be used for each sample. Collect separate samples from different varieties or different blocks.
| Analysis | Tissue Concentration Guidelines | ||||||||
| Low/Marginal Range | Sufficiency Range | Excessive, toxic? | |||||||
| Nitrogen, % N | 2.10 | - | 2.30 | 2.30 | - | 2.70 | |||
| Phosphorus, %P | 0.10 | - | 0.15 | 0.15 | - | 0.35 | |||
| Potassium, % K | 1.10 | - | 1.40 | 1.40 | - | 2.20 | |||
| Calcium, % Ca | 1.80 | - | 2.00 | 2.00 | - | 4.00 | |||
| Magnesium, % Mg | 0.25 | - | 0.40 | 0.40 | - | 1.20 | |||
| Sulfur, % S | 0.13 | - | 0.15 | 0.15 | - | 0.30 | |||
| Zinc, ppm Zn | 15 | - | 20 | 20 | - | 30 | 200 | ||
| Iron, ppm Fe | 30 | - | 50 | 50 | - | 250 | 500 | ||
| Manganese, ppm Mn | 20 | - | 25 | 25 | - | 100 | 1000 | ||
| Copper ppm Cu | 3 | - | 5 | 5 | - | 12 | 100 | ||
| Boron, ppm B | 65 | - | 80 | 80 | - | 150 | 300 | ||
| Sodium, % Na | 0.25 | ||||||||
| Chloride, % Cl | 0.30 | ||||||||
¶ Figure A.
Note: Leaf analysis can be a reliable indicator of a tree's nutrient status and used to diagnose problems occurring during the growing season. It is also useful to differentiate between nutritional problems and disease symptoms.
These plant analysis interpretations are developed from data collected across a wide range of conditions. Plant tissue levels can vary between varieties or be affected by conditions that affect nutrient uptake, Low nutrient levels may be due to deficiency or to dilution by intensive growth. High or excessive nutrient levels may be a sign of restricted growth allowing nutrients to accumulate in the plant tissue. Nutrient imbalance may be secondary to the primary problem.
Collecting "paired" samples (e.g.,"good" vs. "bad") greatly improves the diagnostic value of plant analysis. Paired sampling also allows comparison of the nutrient status of healthy trees to abnormal ones in situations outside the normal sampling routine.