We planted six 6-foot tall Techny Arbovitaes in May. The trees have fared well during the early summer drought (we thoroughly watered 1x-2x per week, backing off as the drought ended in July-August). Recently, the trees have had some browning of the inside needles, but the tips remain green. This browning is occurring in the bottom 3.5 to 4 feet of the tree. Is this normal seasonal browning/needle drop, or is there something else going on? Is any pruning required?
The soil type is clay, but other arborvitaes in the area seem to thrive. The soil is draining sufficiently as the ground slopes gently away from the area where the trees are planted. I'd be happy to send a picture if that would help diagnose the problem.
Thank you for your help!
