Woong Park - Pretty sure this is the same issue you have with your other tree you posted about. It’s the way you’re watering - too much. Also, I think these Arborvitaes are planted too close together. They should be at least 4’ apart from each trunk - 4’ on center. They will grow to touch each other even at that distance & they’ll be much healthier & prettier with less dead & brown centers.

Thank you for replying, but there is saying “water regularly, daily after planting and during warm summer”
There was a dead tree in that spot, so I had no choice but to plant a new tree between the existing ones, without much consideration for distance 🥺

@Parks Don’t know who gave that watering advice about ”..daily after planting…” but in my experience that applies only to small and tender plants. My watering practices are to water a plant very well before it is put into ground & then, water deeply & infrequently & not done with a sprinkler. I do it by hand with a watering bucket so I know just how much water is going into the plant & not all around the plant & into the air. Much more work of course! .That’s the advice I have always been given & it works. We must ask the plant if it needs water by checking the soil around it & a few inches deep - is it dry? Water. Is it moist? Wait. Water will be needed more often of course in hot weather especially for new plants in their first season.

KW is correct. The saying is ”water deeply but infrequently” for woody plants. It takes a very few moments with a hand held hose.

Woong Park, even different spots in my yard are different. I plant small bare root trees. GENERALLY I find if it has not rained for three days a gallon on water for a three foot transplant is what I expect.

My finger guides me.

For a big rootball tree what do you all do?

Do u stick the hose to the rootball, soak it, and come back in a couple days with the finger?

Thank you so much for the advice guys!
KW PNW Z8- When I bought the cedar trees, there was guide tag. I have been watering them everyday, following the instructions on the guide.

Here is the guide tag.

@Parks Yes, I see it does say water daily after planting. Maybe they include that instruction as so many people don’t water their newly planted plants at all. Also, if one lives in a hot climate & plants during the heat of summer, daily watering would be required for the first summer to ensure survival to winter rains. Note also that the instructions advise watering to a depth of 8-10” - that’s the deep watering we’re telling you about. And, the tag recommends a soaker hose - those provide gentle, deep watering over a period of several hours with efficiency & little waste of our valuable water resource. I have some of these same trees & I do use a soaker hose during the horrilble heat domes we’ve been experiencing - my trees are almost 10 years old! The soaker hose is wrapped around the base of each tree about 5” away from trunk. So, you can see from responses to your question that all of us garden folk think the problem with your sick / dead tree is that it drowned from overwatering. You did follow your instructions in good faith but they aren’t good for your area & climate. There’s also a chance this tree was having problems before you bought it. Especially if it didn’t come from a nursery but was purchased at a garden center in a large home store like Lowes or Home Depot. Don’t know what your equivalent is in BC.. My suggestion to you is to not replace that tree. Just pull it out - do check the hole for standing water or too wet soil just to learn what the problem is. But, the 2 trees on either side of this sick one will appreciate the space to spread out & will be healthier for it. If you must fill the hole, plant a pretty flowering shrub in the spot. And no watering with a lawn sprinkler!

Thank you so much #KW PNW Z8! Really appreciate it!

transplanting a SIX TO 8 TREE IN LEAF is stressful ..

it might take that tree all summer to calm down...

its is EXTREMELY STRESSED.. it is not hungry.. fert is never a response to stress .. so dont turn down that street ...

no tree needs water every 3 days.. i dont care what a marketing man wrote on a a tag ... its just wrong .. period...

i didnt read all the above.. why did you lose plants in the lines of established plants...

with that kind of bigbox tag.. i would expect you have a one year warranty... if so.. lets wait until fall to see what happens..

and if big box.. we have no idea what it went thru being shipped form grower.. to sell.. before it ever got to your house.. stuff does happen ..

ken