where are you how long have they been in the ground they are conifers ... there is a forum for such... though i do NOT care where you post.. using the GW search engine should get you many posts on these conifers ... interior browning and loss of needles is ENTIRELY NORMAL .... and increased by stressors such as recent planting ... and abnormal winters ... and weather .... no conifer hold the interior needles forever ... as far as the spider web.. its summer... unless you find a specific bug.. FIND IT ... i would defer to mr spider.. and many.... are beneficial ... no matter how much some of us hate them ... its not an issue sans proper ID of something else ... i will defer on the canker issue.. i dont do these plants. in my zone.. but from what i have read.. there is no real great upside to them ... fast growing.. fast to get problems.. and fast to die ... ergo ... i agree with dan.. that replacement is on the books... especially while they are small enough for you to do it yourself .... however.. when and how this has to be done is the issue ... this could easily be a 5 year project.. replacing 1 or 2... while maintaining the privacy hedge... ken

Hello everyone. Yes, some types of Spider Mites make webs. You can tell if you have Mites bad because the branches will fall away from the rest of the plant. Most people blame this on "BIG WINDS" but the mites weaken the layer just under the bark on the outside and thatÂs why they "lean" out. If this is the case cut them down lower and spray the trees with high pressure water hose (not a pressure sprayer) use a small hole hose end and this will do fine. Spray the whole tree all around and top to bottom for 2 days. Let them dry and get a sprayer and some mite spray. Ortho used to make a product called "Isotox" but now I think they re-named it so ask at a garden center. Italian Cypress are very bad about mites, this because they always seem to have the smallest water wells or some people have a drip system and don't give them enough water. They get heat stressed easy and this allows the mites to get ahead of the tree. I have seen people with drips use a 4gal/ per minute end and only give them 15 min. 1 gal. of water!! And this is on a tree that is 3'+ around! When you planted them did you breakup the root ball a little? If not this could be a problem. People buy the tallest cypress and these are sometimes root bound. So this could be it. Also root balls that are tight will not allow the water to go through them because the outside dirt is broken up and water will just go around them. If this sounds like the problem take a shovel push it into the ground at the outside of the ball and in about 1" in 4-5 spots around the trees ball and about a foot deep if you used 5 gal. plants. and give it a back and forth movement to try to loosen it up then put garden mix in the holes and stamp down light. WATER every 5 days for 2-3 weeks in poor sandy soil or 10 days in better soil. Water them good in heat and back off in cool. Remember these trees want water not soaked all the time but people think just because itÂs topped at say 12' itÂs not a big tree. Even if you do not top yours make sure they have enough water. You will also keep the mite problems down. Spray them off in spring and 3-4 times in the summer and they will love you for it!

need a pic of the whole.. i am thinking handling damage ... either in shipping from the wholesaler ... to the retailer ... to you taking them home.. and dragging them around the yard twice ... one thing about conifers... the result of damage.. can be many months later... especially with the down time of winter... in between ... pic of the whole .. i am looking for highly localized spots rather than a general overall decline ... as in where burly men yanked these things around .. them.. not you ... lol ... considering they have only been in place.. 3 months... it would be hard for me to jump to bugs or disease ... but then i dont garden in the bug capitol of the world.. FL .. lol ... ken

Faizan, How tall were these trees when you planted them ( the ones pictured without the privacy fence) Those seem to just have some branch die outs but, those smaller ones that are all brown are history. I live in zone 8 as well or about 4 hours North of the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama. The first pics of the small trees holes that were dug needed to be wider and deeper. I have to plant mine in impervious red clay-loam type soil that doesn't drain well (see my posts on GG's and Leland's) In your case, I'd dig it deeper so the trees roots have a softer bottom to grow in but when the trees are set back in the holes spread out the roots like an octopus would look like with it's tentacles all out. Make sure the root ball or trunk base is an inch or two above the ground grade and put back in the dirt you removed (minus the rocks) and walk it in to get rid of air pockets (don't stomp the dirt down). Depending on the soil moisture, that will depend on how much you water it in. Don't water log them. Put 2-3 inches of mulch around the root ball and outer drip line for a top dressing. Don't pile up the mulch around the trunk! I'd come back the next day and wet the mulch until you see it build up and go into the ground and stop. I don't see any need in making berms around the trees (unless the ground grade requires it) as this encourages water to pond in there if you get too much rain or watering. Check the trees in a few days as others have mentioned for moisture content. I'm going to get about 12 Italian's this Spring to plant but haven't found a good seller around me to purchase them. I've always read the smaller grow faster than the bigger when planting and it seems to be the status quo with Leland's and GG's so far. I hope this helps you out and please look at my posts regarding the planting and techniques I've put in place for problem soils down here. Let me know.