Q- How do you tell how damaged vines are by fire?
A- You look at the health of the trunks of the vines by cutting into them. We call this Cambium Testing. We normally do this cut on the trunk, but you can make this cut anywhere (roots, cordon or shoots).
You make a shallow slice (3mm), with a sharp blade, across the surface to expose the cambial layer under the bark.
The colour of the vine tissue that you see will give an indication of what is going to happen to the vine. A green colour indicates live tissue. Vines with green tissue are hopefully going to survive by throwing our water shoots.
Green tissue indicates the vine is still moving nutrient and water up the stem.
Burned trunk, but cambium layer looks green.
Note the burned vine bark.
Vines with brown and dry looking tissue have likely died and will not be able to be resurrected.
For more information visit the AWRI resource pack:
https://www.awri.com.au/…/information-packs/managing-fire-…/
Or look at CropWatch Adelaide Hills.