I'm having a similar problem. Have you applied any insecticides?

No pesticide, herbicide, or fertilizer applied before the browning developed. Upon second look, I have noticed a few small tufts of brown on a couple of the other green giants. The browning seems to develop from the inside of the tree and moves outward to the stems and then foliage - it doesn't appear to be the work of insects. Since none of the various trees I planted at the same time show this kind of browning, I also think I can eliminate freeze damage. I bought this particular tree with a batch of 20 GGs from a smaller nursery who bought them from another TN nursery.

It looks like the top has been damaged. Maybe rough handling somewhere before or during planting.
Are you sure that's a Green Giant? The picture isn't very sharp so it's hard to get a good look at it. My first impression is that it's a Cryptomeria.

Mike

Good eye. I thought it would be easier for me to remember what I planted where and distinguish young conifers. I did mix some Cryptomeria Radicans in with this patch of green giants. Sorry for the image blurriness - I need to find a better way to convert my megapixel camera images to a size that can be posted on the web. Hopefully this browning is a fluke and no further action is necessary to protect remaining trees.

Ralph

not GG

the brown part is dead .. cut that part out... or replace it ..

large transplant... potted or BB???

either way.. a root or watering failure...

you didnt expect to bat 1.00 ... did you???

interior browning .. is normal.. and increased with transplant... and the bigger the transplant.. the bigger the potential ...
the plant is stressed.. no fert ..IMHO ... nor spraying anything on it ...

insure deep watering on all plants in july/august .. with near drying in between

ken