Question
My weeping birch tree has no leaves this year. I hate to get rid of the tree. Could it just be dormant?

Answer
You can see if the tree is dead or alive--start near the end of an upper branch and scrape a small bit of bark off the branch and if the color under the bark is green the branch is still alive at this point on the branch --if the color is brown not green then the branch is dead at this point on the branch. If brow continue down the branch scraping at intervals until you find green or reach the trunk. If no green is found try other branches. If non is found then the tree is dead. If green is found it should leaf out if watered and then you can prune the dead branches off. More than likely it is dead sorry!