all trees will put up one or more new leaders.. we usually select and encourage one ... but it might take a few years.. to even out with the others ...

as to whether you have the patience for such.. can only be answered by yourself ... and your pocketbook ....

ken

are you sure they are GG's... which the deer arent supposed to bother???

ken

Agree with Ken about patience. Would say if you do decide to replace it, get one a foot or two feet taller than the others so as things progress, the larger will set roots while the others put their energy into foliage/leader growth. Then at the end while one grows roots and the others grow taller, things will balance better. For an extra 10 bucks or whatever the price may be from a 4-footer to a 5-footer, I'd spend the money.

Dax

They're Green Giants. The deer don't eat them much. They rub their antlers on them in the fall and strip off the bark. They've done it to several of my trees. They ususally only take off the bark on one side, so the plants can usually recover with a scar, but sometimes they strip if off all the way around which is terminal for everything above the scrape.

I hate deer.

If I see a good price on a decent sized one, i'll buy it.

Arborvitaes compartmentalize when exposed to adversity. This means that instead of the whole top going down as a unit part of the top is able to live on in separation from the dead part. So your tree should grow back eventually, if additional damage is prevented.

yes bboy..

and therein lies the rub..

ken

get it?? .. its a pun .. lol ...

i know this post is old. what did you decide to do? i have a similar problem. my middle leader died all the way down. all the branches connected to it died with it. the bottom outer branches on a different stem are still alive. i'm thinking tie them together see if it will grow up right. idk if that is going to work. do you have pics?