July 2026
How to tell if your plant is no longer?
Recent heatwaves and high winds may have lead to a few unwelcome garden surprises if you’ve been away for a few days (or indeed just hiding indoors).
You may have some plants looking decidedly brown and crispy. How do you know whether they’re a write-off or can be revived with a bit of care and attention?
The good news is that plants are extremely clever - they want to live, even in the face of adversity (just look at weeds)!
Brown and crispy on the outside, doesn’t necessarily mean the same on the inside, it could just be self preservation. Here’s a few things that will help you decide whether to hang on in there or whether you have ‘new planting opportunities’!!
The Scratch Test - gently scrape a stem near the base of the plant with your fingernail or a small knife. If the inside layer feels moist and is green or white then the plant is still alive. If the inside is dry, brittle or brown, sorry but your plant may have given up.
The Bend Test - look at a thin stem or twig towards the end of the plant. Gently bend it around 90 degrees. Bending and flexibility is a good sign…snapping is not.
The Root Test - If you can, slide the plant out of the container (this may be quite easy if the compost has shrunken away from the sides). If the rootball is firm, flexible and has a white or yellow colour then it’s still alive. A dead rootball will probably be black, mushy or smelly.
So, hopefully you have mostly found some healthy plant tissue and roots.
How to revive your plant?
Trim off the worst of the dead brown parts - this will help your plant save energy to use of new growth.
Ensure the rootball is hydrated, maybe adding some liquid plant food to the water. One of the biggest mistakes now is to over water your suffering plant. It may have little or no leaves and will therefore not need copious amounts of water - you will only drown it Just ensure that it does not dry out again.
Consider mulching the surface to retain moisture.
Move your plant to a sheltered, semi shaded area where it is less exposed to extremes.
Be patient!