In my opinion most big box store conifer offerings are junk. They are neglected in the field, mishandled on route and cared for improperly at the retail store.

I think HD will give you a refund.

Yank it up along with receipt in hand and go for it.

The smaller potted offerings do quite well. B&B are much harder to acclimate. Usually only about 10% of the root mass left after a dig. Arbs will shed the foliage they can't accommodate because of inadequate root mass. Arbs such as Thuja and Chamaecyparis are two of the worst that will shed foliage with a 50/50 chance of survival if you go the B&B route.

Dave

Not that it affects the point about plant behavior but "arborvitae" is usually used for Thuja (and Platycladus) only.

what bboy means.. is that GG is a hybrid between Thuja standishii x Thuja plicata 'Green Giant' ..

and not simply a Thuja ...

regardless.. it is dead.. you wont know why until you dig it up .. if not shipping.. handling or watering.. there is even a chance that the balling itself.. chopped off too many roots...

please review the planting instructions at the link.. and if you replace it.. SKIP ALL AMENDMENTS.. and plant high in clay ... and do it in the right season.. june is getting late in many 0parts of the country.. to do it best ....

since GG can grow 2 to 3 feet per year.. even in cold zones.. i dont really understand why you bought it so big ... a smaller plant is easier to get home.. easier to plant.. and easier to get re-established ... and... you can buy a potted one.. and not worry about all the roots being chopped off ...

also skip the snake oil quick start .. unless you have some left ... its of no harm.. its just not worth the money ....

and i have no clue what a deep root waterer is ... but INSURE that the root mass never dries.. nor gets too wet.. you check with your finger.. or a small trowel ... had you done that this time.. you would have know if it was too wet or too dry ...

something bothers me about your plant.. i am not sure it is a GG ... it looks too pendulous .... but the pics are too small for me to see well ... maybe joy will tell us ...

hit the warranty .. take the money.. and buy a smaller plant.. i would bet a buck.. a 3 footer... will outgrow the other in 5 years ....

good luck

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link

"what bboy means.. is that GG is a hybrid between Thuja standishii x Thuja plicata 'Green Giant' .."

What Ken means.. is that GG is a hybrid between Thuja standishii and Thuja plicata... ;0)

I guess what Dave means is he didn't mean to say Chamaecyparis is and Arb. Thuja and Platycladus) only have that distinction.

Irregardless, without the above confusion, and misinformation which I am guilty let's just say Thuja and Chamaecyparis are two of the worst that will shed foliage with a 50/50 chance of survival if you go the B&B route.

I think this is a meaningful statement since I have been over that road several times and I was never successful planting large B&B as mentioned above even though great care was given for their survival. Damn I lost some great cultivars because I wanted instant gratification. You learn from your mistakes.

Ken says: "regardless.. it is dead.. you wont know why until you dig it up".

Chances are you will never know. They just die for no apparent reason.

Sorry about your loss Molly. Give it another go with a smaller potted version. They grow rather quickly as Ken says.

Dave

Thanks for your help all, now I am sad for my pretty tree, okay once pretty. To be honest, this was the first time I've seen them offered around here in any size. Only ones I ever saw before were in seed catalogs, the tiny saplings my dogs would probably squash

okay now I have a question, I want cedar trees so what would be good for North Texas heavy clay soil? I'm mainly looking for bug control, aside from beauty

"I'm mainly looking for bug control, aside from beauty"

Do you mean like how cedar mulch repels insects? I don't believe a living tree really exudes enough aromatic oils to do much good (other than right next to it and to limited targets). You'd need to chop your tree up to do that. What insects are you trying to repel?

tj

Hi tj Mainly mosquitos, but also so many others we are blessed with in hot humid weather. I do use cedar mulch but have to use mulch stickum otherwise it tangles in my dogs coats. (not a pretty site). The dogs do run near the trees so the aroma does rub off on them, meaning I can use less poison on my dogs to repel fleas tick and of course mosquitos.

I am thinking I may have a slight glimmer of hope with my sad Thuja, today while meddling around it I spotted new growth :) It's on the east side of the tree, which only gets morning sun. The bottom 2 pictures I took are from the east side. the west side is where it's really dead looking almost like a bad sunburn, if that's possible. Our sprinklers are set to run at midnight so I know it's not water burning the fronds