Is My Plant Dead (or Just Dormant) after Winter?

How can you tell if your trees, shrubs or perennials have been killed through winter? Some plants (like my hardy hibiscus) seem to take FO-REV-ER to come out of dormancy. Here I'll take you through a couple of quick ways you can gather clues about the mortality status of your plants!
If you find these videos useful, there are a few little things you can do to help me out:
Have a look at our Amazon shop: www.amazon.com...
Follow our farm on Instagram: / fraservalleyrosefarm
Like us on Facebook: / fraservalleyrosefarm
Or better yet, subscribe to this KZbin channel: www.youtube.co...
And for a place to indulge in random garden anarchy: / unrulyrosesociety

[@sallyhamilton7202]

I never ever EVER pull up anything that appears dead until at least June. Because even though the plant may appear dead, doesn't make growth buds, stalks are brittle and break off when bent, sometimes the root is still viable and will send up new growth. I've had many a pleasant surprise over the years, things that have grown and thrived that would have been gone if I'd been too hasty about pulling them up.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Sally - I've been surprised too many times...

[@pheobegibbs664]

Thank you,I thought my syriacus was dead. Butthanks to your video it's just not ready yet...

[@Artemisgrier]

I left a young mostly dead oak tree a year, and so glad I did. It’s a beautiful pin oak a decade later.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Fantastic! That's a win.

[@stephanie2863]

Hi Jason, Stephanie here in zone 6B Louisville, KY. I’ve just discovered your videos when I (somewhat belatedly) cut the old wood off my Annabelle Hydrangeas. I googled like mad to see if the growing tips all up and down those shoots can be used to propagate. Your videos on propagation are the best and most detailed I have found, thank you so much! You’re providing an excellent resource to us home gardeners and I’m excited about learning more from you!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks so much Stephanie.

[@christmassnow3465]

Grapes have a thick bark which may be mistaken for a dead trunk. Often the bark tends to peel-off and appear dead. I always pruned the vine as part of the maintenance. That is for me also the safest diagnosis by looking at the color of the cut area.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks. Yeah, anything with shaggy or pealing bark can look a bit concerning until you cut into it.

[@marilynm2086]

You are so lucky to have spring! Still have snow on the ground here in Manitoba.

[@ML-yx4nm]

Jason, you reminded me that I should check on some hardy Hibiscus trees that I potted up last year to see if they survived the winter.

[@lisakiraly7227]

This was so informative! Checking the crown was something we never even knew about until now! We need to clear out large areas we didn’t get to last year! Since we are on a rental lot, and the original owners were farm owners and the grandmother a serious gardener! We don’t want to cut down or pull plants because we don’t know what is a plant that is either dead or a weed versus ones that are alive 😬

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Lisa - I find it a mixed blessing taking over an established garden. I know everyone tells me to "wait a full year" to see what's there, but I'm always quite anxious to put my own stamp on a new garden. Then again, I always enjoy a pleasant surprise when I see what comes up. Have fun!

[@ian9185]

I also have Hibiscus Syriacus (bluebird) and agree it is very late to come put of dormancy, it is however showing first signs of bud growth now. It didnt flower for me last year so hoping it will give me some colour this summer.

[@matthewfarrell317]

I am in Melbourne Australia, and due to the lockdowns we have had, I spent time in the garden, one project we did was remove the lawn in the front yard and planted 7 fruit trees (although 5 only arrived this week), the first tree I planted was a unique apple from Tassie, and the most nerve-racking thing waiting to see if this tree will wake up or not, esp since I normally only deal with native evergreens.... thankfully it has woken up, so thats one less thing. Once they all establish over this year they should be fine, we are in an amazing position in terms of climate, we have high chill hours 800-1000 a year, but we rarely dip below 0C, so there is very little that can kill them winter wise, we just have to keep them pest free.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I'm glad you're past the nail-biting for your fruit trees!

[@onevision23]

Thanks for the video. I am going to have to go check around the crown and look for some new growth.

[@patrickacox]

All three of our Hisbiscus hasn't come back yet. There is some green budding at the bottom of the trunk area. But the limbs just snap right off. We are in North Florida and we had one of the longest winters yet.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I don't know about other hibiscus, but H. syriacus is notorious for late emergence. I hope they come back okay for you.

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

Thank you! It’s my grapes that I usually worry about. Klaus

[@gianninanaut9334]

I kept my lavender even though everyone had told me it died and only a week later it started to sprout ❤ can't say the same for my pineapple though 😥

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks - and lavender has such an ugly grey to it's dead foliage, it looks so bleak! I'm glad you kept it

[@Combatpzman]

Another thing to look for is fungal growth on branches. The hardy Hibiscus often show a pinkish colour on infected and dead branches. Maples will often get little orange spots of fungi on deadwood.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks - good signs to look for.

[@Dee_Cee227]

Good info Jason. Very helpful. Thanks

[@peterkoller3761]

South eastern Austria: I got two pear trees, different varieties, growing side by side: one is in full bloom now, the other one still looks like in deep winter, the buds haven´t even begun to swell yet - not even a little. The first time I noticed this, I was worried, but it has been like this every year.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks Peter - amazing how a genetic difference between two cultivars can stagger the bloom time by so much!

[@peterkoller3761]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm needless to say that the more wary one has fruit every year while the more naivly trustful one occasionally has leaves-only-years when late spring frost strikes

[@reisun6894]

I have this potted Spruce tree I bought as a Christmas tree hoping I can keep it alive because I felt bad throwing away live trees. It lost all it's leaves after Christmas and I assumed I didn't water it enough. I still didn't want to throw it away so it's been sitting in the back yard next to my cactus. I was finally going to throw it away this week and when a brach eventually bent and starting bleeding! I didn't know what dormancy was until I googled it this week

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Happy to hear your spruce looks to be alive!

[@carlamartinez648]

Thank you so much for the advice i will check my Tea Rose idk if it survived the winter!!

[@prepperpov5852]

Thanks a ton!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

You're most welcome. Thanks for watching

[@kimberlyoboyle451]

The lilacs are showing tiny leaves, my Rose of Sharons sometimes don't come out until June! We have some nice Saucer Magnolias that should be blooming soon. But first the Forsythia must bloom!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

The stubborn plants are probably the smart ones: we sometimes have a couple of "false starts" to our spring. Is the forsythia beginning to bud yet?

[@kimberlyoboyle451]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm I don't actually have any, not a fan of the color, and the limited amount of driving I've been doing, I haven't been able to see any close up! But it's true I notice the winter hardiest roses are sometimes later to break.

[@ZE308AC]

Thank you 😊 ❤

[@tracymcrae5994]

This is the first year some of my hardy shrubs, roses and perennials never survived. The winter was harsh and came on quickly in December with temps of -28. Usually winter is a gradual event with temps of -10 in December. Fall was extended into early November which was not the normal trend. I lost a rose bush, a beautiful Rose of Sharon and had dieback on some very hardy rose bushes and my lavender didn’t survive and it’s survived previous years of -28 temps. Can anyone help me with trying to understand why this year was different. Jan. & Feb. we’re more mild then previous years. I am thinking that with the delay of winter and then such severe temps, the plants didn’t have time to prepare for winter and didn’t have enough hydration and sugars stored in roots. I would love to hear other gardeners thoughts on the plant dieback of the winter of 22/23.

[@ericks4280]

Great video, thanks!

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Happy to help Erick

[@chrismcdonald6481]

My rosemary isn't doing so good. 3 years old. Cant remember what shape it was in last year this time. Hopefully just dormant and take off in warming weather

[@rosanuno.v]

Thank you! Straight To the point.. perfect info! Now one question.. on my shrubs some branches snap when I bend and some don’t.. do I take those off and leave the others?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Rosa. Well, if you think that some stems are still okay, I'd probably leave the whole thing alone until it becomes clear how far any die-back has gone - and then take care of it all in one step.

[@thandermax]

Great advice 👍🏼

[@GardenDoodles]

As for scratch testing, the branch could be dead further out along the limbs but might be alive closer to the base so be careful to not cut off too much especially for hydrangea macrophyllas.

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Thanks - good call. And don't even get me started on fuchsias - even if all the limbs are dead and brown inside, my magellanica varieties will shoot happily from the base a bit later in spring.

[@jeffmartin693]

good vid!

[@Tara-sf7uu]

Jason, I hope you can answer a question for me. I am kow the caretaker of several very? Old roses since we took over my partners childhood home. How long do climbing roses generally live? Ive had them 8 yrs, and I was told they were 20+ yrs old before that. Is this posdible?

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

Hi Tara - totally possible. A grafted rose is usually hard pressed to be productive at that age, because the graft union tends to degrade over time. However, on their own roots, there are roses known to be hundreds of years old.

[@Tara-sf7uu]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thanks! I may remove some of the weakest ones and replace with some that are pretty and fragrant( the old ones have neither quality). Ty for the advice!

[@viviansaliba1630]

I have lemon tree from the frost the leaves got all yellow what shall I do trim or keep it as is and the leaves comes down and it will grow again

[@masarathaji3534]

I brought a hibiscus last year it was good until this winter but now it is showing no new growth. Can u please tell me until which mont it breaks dormacy . I live in india 🇮🇳(Kashmir valley)

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

If it's hibiscus syriacus, it can be quite late (in May usually where I am)

[@masarathaji3534]

@@FraserValleyRoseFarm I'm so worried thankyou so much

[@dream.fiiend]

I assumed mine were dead, and now they really are bc I threw them away 😔

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

That'll do it!

[@ElderandOakFarm]

Do you know if eucalyptus go dormant? I'm attempting to overwinter one inside in zone 6b I''ve been taking it out on every warm, sunny day, but other wise it's in a room at about 55-60 degrees usually.... when it stays getting cold this fall, its' leaves started Wilting & drying down as if it was severely under- watered (but it wasn't). It's just been sitting in that same state for the past ~3 months & I'm curious if it's dormant or dying. I'm not sure if they even go dormant though...

[@FraserValleyRoseFarm]

I had my cut flower eucalyptus (silver dollar) go dormant on me in the greenhouse (unheated), but then it recovered in the spring. So I can say yes for that one variety, but it's a large genus, so I'm not sure for all eucalyptus.

[@samar7362]

Hi..mine is the first comment 😊😊

[@udayachandran6759]

38 th view