Now that spring is here and the ground is thawing, it's time to get out in the garden and inspect any winter damage. It can be tricky to tell from first glance whether a plant has died from frost or is simply still dormant. But, there's a 10-second trick pro gardeners use to get an immediate answer: the plant scratch test.
It's something to stick at the top of your spring gardening checklist, even if you followed all precautions to protect your plants from frost. By simply scratching plant stems (you can use a garden knife, like this one from Amazon), you can see if they're green inside, indicating good health, or brown, indicating dead plant matter.
