Good job posting the links as the embedded pics didn't work for me. Every other day seems a bit much to me if they're in the ground, but it doesn't sound like you're drowning them either. The leaf loss in your pics looks pretty minimal/normal for a transplanted one, especially since they mostly seem to be the older fronds, but let's see what our other members say too. I'd just just make sure they get lightly dry between watering (mine get watered twice a week at this time of year) and then not to sweat the older fronds yellowing/browning, especially after a recent transplant. I think your plants look pretty good overall. Good luck and keep us posted, Grant

have any of you HARDENED them off to full sun application .... IF THEY CAME FROM A GREENHOUSE/shadehouse ... perhaps they are burning up.. because you blasted them out to full blistering sun???? when i order conifers.. i always try to remember to ask upon order.. or call them back when i get them.. to ask if they came from a greenhouse ... the next question would be how your zone compare between yours and where they are shipped from ... if they are growing lushly in z8 .. and you plant them asap in z4 in very early spring ... again.. there might be hardening off issues .... but to temps this time .... just speculating ... the grafters in WA and OR... tend to leave them outdoors the second winter.. or what they call winter.. lol ... but GG's are a rooted plant ... and it wouldnt surprise me if they are in green or shade houses .... ken

thats interior browning.. its NORMAL ... and its increased due to the stresses of transplant ... it does not help it was a HUGE transplant... and the black mulch does the stress no favor either ... based on what i see today.. in this.. pic.. there is nothing to worry about ... it will all fall off by itself... i dont know what you mean by damaged.. if branches cracked.. prune them off ... right now.. you can tell.. what are the live part... when those start losing regular color.. is when you start to worry ... you water a conifer/tree... WHEN IT NEED WATER... no when can tell you when ... you water deeply.. and then let it NEARLY dry ... take a hand trowel .... and dig a 3 to 6 inch hole.. and find out.. how YOUR SOIL reacts to the water ... we never want standing water ... once the root mass that was planted is dampened... you dont really need to water all that much.. as the soil will rarely dry.. below a few inches.. and that is why i want to to dig small holes and find out ... 2.5 hours a week of water... sounds like a lot... even on my glacial sand ... but again.. only you can find out ... ken

Thank you all for the replies and thoughts. When I removed the burlap, the clayey root ball seemed very moist, so I believe it was adequately moistened. I have since placed a soaker hose in my garden bed (under 2-3" of mulch) with a full loop around the base of the tree, so we'll see what happens with soaking for a longer period of time rather than 5-10 minutes of direct hose spray. I also want to note that I planted a new rhododendron immediately adjacent to the emerald green about 2 weeks ago, and I just noticed today that the rhody appears to have a disease, which looks an awful lot to me like phytophthora ramorum. I think I have heard that arborvitaes are also susceptible to this disease. Do you think there might be a connection between the rhody and the arborvitae? I am probably going to pull that rhody out and bring it back to the nursery where I got it, as it was only a few weeks ago. I posted photos of the browning arborvitae foliage, and of the rhododendron.