Not sure if your tree is dead or alive? Use the scratchtest to find out.Web: shadesofgreeninc.comSocial: @ShadesofGreenTX. If they break quickly without arching, the branch is dead. If many branches are dead, the tree may be dying. To make a determination, you can use the simple treescratchtest. TreeScratchTest. Posted on by Jennifer Gibson - Videos, Featured. Determining if a newly planted bareroot tree is dying, dead, or dormant can be challenging, but by performing the scratchtest, bud inspection, and flexibility test, you can assess its health. Dormant plants and trees wake up at different times. There is one easy way to determine if your fruit tree or berry plant is still alive: the scratchtest. TreeTesting Part 2: Interpreting the Results. TreeTesting: Fast, Iterative Evaluation of Menu Labels and Categories.TreeScratchTest - Is Your Tree Dead or Alive? Performing a ScratchTest. Just under the dry, outer layer of bark in a tree’s trunk lies a cambium layer. In a living tree, this is green; in a dead one, it is brown and dry. ? Perform a ScratchTest! Pull a few twigs from the tree and scratch a portion of the bark off. If the inner tissue is moist and green, the tree is alive. Don’t make a great wound in the tree, but just enough to see the layer below. If you perform the treescratchtest on a tree trunk and see green tissue, the tree is alive. ScratchTestTree (Before) How to Do a ScratchTest on Trees & Plants Dormant plants and trees wake up at different times.