Is my Arborvitae alive?
Amy M. from North Carolina wants to know

Hello Amy - Sending me a couple digital photos would help, but here are the basics....
   

You can scrape off the outer bark on a few of a tree's branches (using a knife or your thumbnail) to see if there is still some "green" tissue just beneath the bark. Bending and "snapping" a few twigs will also give you an idea if they are flexible and still alive, or brittle and dry. Those are my two twig tests for you to use.
   

Assuming the twig tests indicate there is still some life left in your tree (by the way, the name Arborvitae means "tree of life") you may want to shear it back lightly to "reduce the load" on the root system. Trimming it back will get rid of some of the excess branches and allow for some of the buds lower on the branches to leaf out and grow. It will also help remove some of the brown needles.
  
Needless to say, if the soil around the tree is dry, start watering it once a week. You might also try an application of MIRACID (the 'cousin' of MIRACLE GRO) which you mix with water and pour around the root zone, according to the label instructions. Try one application of Miracid now, and two more applications at one month intervals.
  
You shouldn't have to wait very long before you know the final verdict, since your spring is probably a couple weeks ahead of ours. By June you should know whether the tree has made it or not. Hopefully it will look as green as the Arborvitae on the left.
  
I'll be interested to hear back from you on your final outcome --

Bob

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