OSU Plant Clinic

Collecting

1. Select material showing the symptoms you are concerned about. Send several samples showing various stages of disease, especially early symptoms. If possible also send a healthy plant.
2. Get all parts of plants, including roots where practical. Enclose roots and soil in a plastic bag. Use another bag to enclose the rest of the plant.
3. If it is not practical to send the entire plant, include several affected portions of the plant. With stem or branch disorders, also include a section of live material attached to the diseased portion.
4. If a vascular wilt such as Verticillium wilt or Dutch elm disease is suspected, send several branch sections 1 inch in diameter and about 6 inches long from branches with dying, wilted, or yellowed leaves. Do not send dead wood. Put samples in a plastic bag to prevent drying.
5. Turfgrass samples should be taken from the edges of affected areas that include dying and also apparently healthy plants. Send one or two 3-by-3-inch squares of sod containing 1 inch of attached soil. Wrap each sample in one thickness of slightly dampened toweling, then in dry newspaper. Send as much information as possible.
6. Fleshy specimens such as mushrooms, fruit, or potatoes should be as firm as possible and show early and intermediate symptom development. Wrap specimens separately in dry towels or newspaper. Do not put in plastic. Pack with sufficient padding to avoid crushing.

Mailing address

Mail to:
OSU Plant Clinic
Botany and Plant Pathology
4575 SW Research Way
Research Way Lab Building
Corvallis, OR 97333
Phone: 541-737-3472

Please send us the shipper and tracking number if you ship via an express delivery service so we can track packages and ensure they are delivered quickly from our central University mailing service.