"This period, after flowering, is again optimal to test lily pad for a reliable result" says Erwin Buschgens. "Before flowering, not all viruses are yet sufficiently dispersed in the plant and therefore cannot always be detected. That is why leaf sampling takes place after flowering."
"We recommend picking leaves about three-quarters of the way up the flower stem according to the following formula: from 25 plants, pick up one leaf each for the base, in 10 different places scattered throughout the lot. So a total of 250 leaves. This gives the best chance of a reliable result".
Preferably use a lightly perforated bag for the leaves so that the leaves do not smolder or dry out. The bags to be used are available from BQ Support. The official turnaround time for results is 5 business days.
For more information on how to take a sample for virus testing, see the guide on our website.
