how to revive a heather shrub?

Question

I let my heather shrub dry out (still potted) and the pink flowers are completely dry and so are the leaves (needles). I scraped the bark at the base of the plant with my finger nail to see if there was any indication of life underneath but was mostly dry. The stem is still somewhat flexible. Does that mean the plant is still alive and can be revived? Any info would help. Thank you.

Answer 1

A live plant, when scratched to reveal the layer below the bark, will show green. If you cut across the stem it would show a ring of light green around a white or pale center. Start just beyond the main stem and work your way toward the base of the stem. When you see green where you scratch you have a living point on the plant. If don't see green anywhere the the plant is dead and any further treatment is probably hopeless.
However not all plants have a thick layer or bark so don't scratch to hard at first.
Just in case the roots are still alive it might be worth a good stimulant like compost tea, garrett juice, or alfalfa tea. However it may be less stressful to begin again