Definitely no need to re-order. Order any remaining ones you need to do your job to be delivered anytime april (when you order request the plants be shipped dormant). To address your soil question, if I was in the same exact situation, I'd find soil from other areas of my property that contains some of the smaller of the rocks mixed in and use that as the backfill for a hole (judging from the size of your seedlings...) w' to 2.5' across and 18" deep. If the soil surrounding the hole that you dug is not porous (which from what you wrote will not be the case... as you say 'you won't reach clay') then that should be the ideal/perfect scene - for those new cuttings. Lastly, don't allow the soil to dry out for more than a few days... 2 should be the limit but 3 is "ok". To backfill the holes you dug, to retrieve the soil, bring all the rocks from your planting holes back to those and... cover those with just bagged topsoil - and continue to cover them as needed with more topsoil... until you're satisfied with the job. As "tj" pointed out about the one on the right, he's right, it's 100% a gonner. Anything on your other plants that resembles that... trim that off and right now is as good of a time as any. Doing that takes any 'dead weight' off the rest of the plant... & on all those seedlings - which damn fine to me & where there's green, especially on Thuja's there's... a great chance new shoots will develop. You're good to go buddy. All lights are "green" from me, also go ahead and with your fingernails pinch off the dead "tissue" on the alive cuttings. Sometimes, I use fingernail scissors, for lack of a better-term. Dax

I planted 12 8-10 ft Thuja green Giants in the late Spring ,last year and you should use bone meal and some peat moss with your native soil, the peat will reatan some moisture and then water them good once or twice a week when there is no rain predicted. They all look great knock on wood.

God i hate when i forget the link ... you asked my opinion ... i gave it ... 85 degrees is NEVER a good time to plant ... holding them a week or two ... in shade... will probably mean... temps in the 70s ... and cooler at night ... just less transplant stress... and a little time to get over shipping stress .... take a drive thru your greater area... how many of the HUGE trees do you see... that were NOT amended at planting ... and a vast majority of them probably self seeded [i am not talking suburbia here] ... in native soil ... there is nothing inherently wrong with clay ... the problem is... us.. transplanting improperly into clay.. and then killing them thru improper watering or amending.. or fert'g ... etc ... we add all the variables on transplant.. and then wonder why ma nature fails.. she doesnt.. we do .... the idea that these are some kind of babies which requires coddling.. is nonsense .. and its when we start coddling them ... that we add all kinds of variables.. that simply complicate the whole deal ... if you amend a hole.. in bad clay.. ts possible ..... the tree.. will simply wind its root around.. and around.. and around.. in the amended soil ... if you plant in native soil... they are forced to deal with it ... and with proper planting.. and watering.. they can deal with it ... and not being babies.. they will most likely never need to be fed.. nor diapered.. nor educated ... etc ... treat them like the trees they are .... plant them like trees plant themselves.. and you will be well on your way.. to growing a plant.. that can deal with your native conditions.... of which.. i am presuming GGs are ???? and... if they are within feet of a fertilized lawn .... soon enough.. will will have roots out there.. stealing anything they may need ... just like painting.. prep is 95% of the job .... now that you have your plants.. you have the other 95% to do ... remove 3 inches of sod ..... dig a hole... and plant tree according to the link above ... high in bad clay ... and water properly .. BTW.. have you ever perked you soil???? ... perhaps your clay isnt as bad as you think... dig a hole .. fill it with water.. and find out.. how long it takes to drain .... then plant accordingly ... we like this planting guide.. because it is written by one of our own .. though most peeps dont admit they know brandon.. lol .... and it encapsulates what we all believe... its not worth this very col typing.. to have an exoteric discussion on all the other website you have seen ... this whole amendment thing.. started by nursery sales peeps.. wanting to increase their profit.. by selling you not only the tree... but all the high profit amendments.... its like the car dealer wanting to sell you undercoating.. warranties... etc ... why do we tell them no.. but cant help ourselves with our baby trees ... dont complicate your life ... ken

there is normal winter bronzing on my GG... up here in the great white north .... i am presuming that is not what you are talking about.. a picture would sure help define such ... but.. with evergreens.. as the name implies.. they are always green .. and i swear.. even for a period after they are dead.. up here.. that can be nearly a year ... if yours definitely are showing a TOTAL dulling .. you can just tell they are 'off' .. then i would suggest they are not long for this world.. if not already dead ... and they may stay sickly looking.. until the heat returns next spring/summer.. when they will finally turn all brown ... if you are saying.. there is sporadic brown spots.. we need a picture ... check out the link ... only time will tell ... but presume the worst.. if in fact they are dead.. or near dead... then the manure will not do anything.. and in fact.. may hasten it all ... i appreciate your searching for old posts.. but this topic would have been better served in anew post.. with its own searchable title.. because it has to do with potential death. rather than this topic title.. of just planted... regardless.. post wherever it makes you happy ... good luck oh.. BTW... i would not go too large on replacements... large transplants can be very tricky to get going.. and a smaller one.. will get moving faster and easier.. and 'catch up' ... rather than struggle and linger for years ... in my world.. warped as it is.. a few off size plants.. lends an interesting variation on the group.. rather than requiring soldier like perfection .... ken here is a pic of mine.. which were 4 inch rooted sticks 11 years ago ... they dont grow quite as fast up here.. especially with 4 months of frozen ground Here is a link that might be useful: link