Urban Farm Answers

Anthea asked: How can you tell if a tree is alive?

Greg’s Answer: Anthea, Great question. Start at the growing tip of a branch move down the branch 3 inches or so. You can either bend it and if it is flexible it is alive and if it breaks it is dead – or you can just use clippers and cut it. Look at the wood and if it is pliable and green it is alive – brown equals dead. Keep moving back a few inches or more and do the same thing. You are looking for live branches on the tree. If you find live branches stop. You can continue this process all the way down the tree until you either find life or get to the ground and never find life. That will give you your answer. Hope this helps.