I found a Web site that states that browning from the center out in
arbrovitaes is a normal occurence in the fall and not to worry.

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/en.../sep89pr3.html

in the 4th paragraph. This is from the state of Virginia, but I've seen the
same page elsewhere too.

The ones we bought were 5-6 feet tall and the gardener bought them from a
wholesaler somewhere. Not from a box store. The ones we have were planted a
year ago (fall 2003) by the gardener. I wasn't home, but I assumed he
planted them correctly. I don't know if a year is enough to be considered
"established" or not.

With all the browning that arborvitaes seem to do, they are emotionally
dificult to have. I didn't expect them to be such drama queens. I wish
they'd just sit there nice and green all year like hemlocks, although true -
hemlocks do get adelgids.


"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:A1Qcd.385822$mD.113896@attbi_s02...

"Bob" wrote in message
t...
Last fall, we had 20 or so 5' arborvitae planted by our gardening guy.
They
browned up some during the winter, but pretty much came back over the
summer. Now they are all browning out from the center. It looks pretty
widespread and there is a lot of browning going on. Are we going to lose
them? I hope not - it was a lot of $$$ to plant them in the first place.
The
gardening guy says we need to water them - which we are doing, but it
looks
pretty bad. Any advice or anything? We live on Long Island, NY.

We planted arborvitaes because we thought they were fairly hardy and
easy
to
care for. It seems to me they are awfully finicky. We should have gone
with
hemlocks.


They are very hardy and easy to care for, but there are a number of
variables involved. First, where you got the plants, how big they were and
how they were delivered (containerized or B&B). Arborvitaes are a dime a
dozen but how they are grown by the grower and how they are harvested and
delivered will have a lot to do with their long term viability. It pays to
get good ones, not those offered by the box stores which have ridulously
small root balls for their size and are often allowed to dry out.. Second,
planting care is important - wide, shallow, unamended holes in
well-draining
soil. And they will need water to get established, specially during hot
summers or dry falls and winters - 1" per week at a minimum. I suspect
lack
of sufficient watering (or conversely, TOO much) may be the problem

Hemlock would have required exactly the same considerations. Plus, they
are
subject to damage by adelgids in the Northeast.

pam - gardengal

pam - gardengal