if these are interior to the plant, this can be normal as each year they will lose some needles. You may be losing more than normal due to transplant recovery on that specific plant due to variables like soil, exposure, root system development. If exterior needles, be sure that the root ball is actually moist itself. There are no substantial roots in the back fill material yet. There also could be a spider mite population building up and causing damage. Suggest contacting your local extension office and getting a more local and focused reply to your concerns