Top Mistakes Growers Make with Tissue Sampling (and How to Avoid Them)

Tissue sampling is one of the best tools for understanding crop nutrition. But its value depends entirely on how it’s done. We’ve seen growers put in the effort, only to get results that are hard to interpret, too late, or not useful for decision-making.

Here are some of the most common mistakes we’ve seen and how you can avoid them.

1. Sampling Too Late in the Season

A lot of growers wait until crops show stress before sampling. At that point, the damage might already be done.

How to avoid it:Set up a sampling plan based on crop stages instead of waiting for visual signs. Early and consistent sampling gives you time to react before yield is affected.

2. Switching Sampling Locations Every Time

Sampling different parts of the field every time makes your data impossible to compare.

How to avoid it:Pick a few representative zones in your field and keep going back to those exact areas. Use GPS, notebooks, or an app, whatever works to stay consistent.

3. Collecting the Wrong Plant Parts

Each crop has specific plant parts to sample at different growth stages. Sending the wrong tissue can lead to misleading results.

How to avoid it:Follow crop-specific guidelines or ask your agronomist or lab before collecting. It’s easier than resampling.

4. Poor Sample Handling

Leaving samples in a hot truck, using dirty bags, using plastic bags, or waiting too long to ship can affect accuracy or get your sample rejected.

How to avoid it:Keep samples clean, cool, and get them processed as quickly as possible.

5. Treating Each Sample Like a Standalone Task

A single sample is just a snapshot. What you really need is a trend over time.

How to avoid it:Plan to sample regularly from the beginning of the season — weekly, biweekly, or at key growth stages.

How the LENS helps:The Picketa LENS stores the data from every scan you take throughout the season. All your samples live in one place and automatically build into a clear timeline with graphs and trends. You can compare fields, dates, growth stages, and nutrient levels without digging through emails or spreadsheets.

6. Getting Results… and Not Using Them

You sample, send it in, get the results, but then the report sits unread because you're busy or unsure what to do with it.

How to avoid it:Have a plan for how lab or field data will be used before you collect it.

How the LENS helps:With nutrient data available within minutes, it's easier to act while it still matters. You don’t have to wait days for a lab result and risk missing the window to adjust fertilizer or foliar feeds.

7. Waiting Too Long for Results

Traditional lab turnaround times make it hard to act quickly. By the time results come back, the crop might already be past the point of correction.

How the LENS helps:The Picketa LENS replaces the wait. You scan your leaf sample and get full nutrient results in minutes, not days or weeks. It keeps your decision-making in real time, where it should be.

Final Thoughts

Tissue sampling doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be consistent, intentional, and paired with tools that make the process easier instead of harder.

Avoid the common mistakes, build a routine, and use technology when it helps you make decisions faster and with more confidence.

If you’d like help building a tissue sampling plan or want to see how the Picketa LENS can fit into your operation, feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to talk crops. Contact us directly at info@picketa.com.