Systems and methods for non-invasively determining a water content, a solute content, and a thickness of plant tissue are disclosed. A system includes a sensing device having a first piece and a second piece, where the first piece and the second piece are coupled together to form a clip. The system further includes a capacitive tissue sensor including a capacitor. The capacitor includes a plurality of coplanar conductive plates. The first piece and the second piece are biased in a closed position to provide a gripping force around the plant tissue such that at least a portion of the plant tissue contacts the plurality of coplanar conductive plates.