Here’s how to know whether your slow-to-grow plant is dead or dormant.
Here are 5 tips to help you determine if a plant is still dormant orready for the compost pile.
Brittle branches are a sign that a portion of the plant is no longer filled with life-giving moisture.
Credit:Helin Loik-Tomson / Getty Images
Break off a small portion of a twig in question.
Does it break easily, separating from the plant with a quick flick of your wrist?
If it does, that portion of the plant is dead.
Credit:Kritsada Panichgul
It is likely alive if the twig bends slightly without breaking and doesnt separate easily from the branch.
New stems will emerge from the root system when conditions are right for growth.
Shrubs likebluebeardandhydrangeacan die back to ground level and develop into beautiful plants the following summer.
If the tissue is a shade of green, the twig is alive.
If the tissue is white or brown, the twig is likely dead.
A dead twig doesnt mean that the entire plant is dead.
When only a portion of the plant exhibits dead twigs,prune out the dead materialand watch for regrowth.
Kritsada Panichgul
3.
Know Your Plants Dormancy Cycle
Each plant species has a unique growth timeline.
When lawn grass is green and thriving in spring, ornamental grasses are often still dormant.
Expect ornamental grasses to send up new shoots by the timemaple treesare fully leafed out.
Evergreens Should Still Be Green
Healthy evergreens live up to their name; they remain green year-round.
If yourspruce,arborvitae, orboxwoodis brown, brittle, and dropping foliage, it is likely dead.
The probable suspect is winter injury resulting from drying winds or extreme temperatures.
Depending on the species and extent of injury, it might regrow enough to obscure the damaged area.
Recheck the plant in a couple of weeks.
Dead woody plants will reveal brittle, light-weight twigs in time.
Perennial plants will emerge by midsummer if they are still alive.
