High quality DNA is essential for next generation sequencing, yet CTAB-based extractions from polysaccharide- and metabolite rich plant tissues often yield fragmented, contaminated DNA with high chaotropic agents. To address these limitations, we present an minimal-reagent optimized CTAB protocol incorporating three key refinements: extended gentle incubation with 3X CTAB buffer at 60–65 °C to improve cell lysis, enhanced salt precipitation using 0.5×6 M NaCl and 0.1×3 M sodium acetate and ethanol to increase DNA yield and remove polysaccharides and secondary metabolites, and dual 70% ethanol washes with low-volume pipette to eliminate residual salts.