Wow, that sounds frustrating. I live in NY and am also plagued with clay soils.

The original reddish brown coloring on the GG sounds like drought stress. Realize that drought stress can occur regardless of the amount rainfall and irrigation. Fertilizer burn, strong winter winds or an inadequate root system all cause drought stress symptoms.

Ironically, the current problem with the cypress sounds like over watering and/or insufficient sunlight. I would have to disagree with the recommendation to mix native soil with peat moss at that high of a percentage. Both the GG and cypress prefer well drained soils. In fact, most evergreens that you would find in your area do best with heavy but infrequent waterings in which the soil dries somewhat between waterings. If the native soil is compacted or very hard, the holes your dug for the trees act as bowls and hold the water.

I would recommend a soil sample. In NY, the cooperative extension offices offer soil tests to homeowners for a small fee. They will base the results on the species of plant and provide recommendations for amending the soil. This might be worth investigating. Not only will get a clearly defined profile of the soil, it also serves as a baseline for future problem solving.

Let me know your thoughts.

I suspect the current problem is over watering as they are in full sunlight, we just went through several weeks without any sunlight. My fear is that I am now dealing with some type of canker disease from the over watering. I am not all that familiar with it, but based on some reading that is what it sounds like.

If these trees do not make it I will most definitely get a soil test and do what I have to do.

Short of cutting back on the watering, is there anything I can do to save these trees? Or are they in big trouble?

Canker is a concern going forward, but I would be very surprised if that has caused the problem. I am providing a link that has good information on identifying canker on cypress. As per my experience with canker, the symptoms appear on one or more branches, eventually killing the entire branch. If I am envisioning it correctly, yours have yellow needles through the canopy but mostly reserved to the interior.

Aside from that, I can only recommend letting the top 4 inches of the soil dry out between waterings and do not fertilize the trees this season.

Have you had any other problems with plants or turf around that same area?

Here is a link that might be useful: Canker on Leylands, Clemson

Thanks for the link arbormike. I really cannot tell if that is what I have.

Its hard for me to describe what I have, but I will try to get a pic tonight and post it.

I have a bunch of Hybrid Poplars, Pin Oaks, Cleveland Pears and Eastern Pines in the same area and so far no problems with any of them.

I suspect the Leylands are suffering because I was watering them too much followed by tons of rain.

I am really hoping they survive because I am tired of buying and planting trees.

I was at Lowes the other day and they had some really nice 8-9 foot 30 gallon Leyland's there. I wonder if I should just buy a bunch of them and have them planted and be done with it for a while? My assumption is that the larger trees are going to be much hardier? Any truth to that?

Thanks!

Smaller trees actually do better than big trees when transplanted. Newly planted trees need more water than established trees. Leylands don't like a huge amount of water. Green Giants like more water than Leylands.

Get a long water meter, and stick your finger down into the soil to really know how moist it is.

Also, newly planted trees for the 1st couple years have a small rootball and when you water you want to soak that rootball and the soil around it -- many ppl don't actually get water directly into the rootball.

I'm a newbie too and bought a very large number of expensive big trees to start my yard from scratch. I needed shade very badly. Well, I had not read this forum yet, and it was a mistake. It takes 5 years for a big tree to recover from transplanting. I had many expire, to my horror. A small tree planted correctly at the same time will be healthier, fuller and bigger by the end of that 5 years!

Trees take 3 years to establish once planted. Big trees take 5.

1st year they sleep.
2nd year they creep.
3rd year they leap.

And after the 3rd year, with watering in drought and judicious pruning, trees will be happy and really grow.

Use the 'Search' feature here and find great threads with very specific info on the best way to plant trees. Very helpful!

Not quite. Established trees, meaning trees that have been growing in the same place, are much heartier. It is however the established root system that provides the benefit, not the size or age of the tree.

When planting/transplanting larger trees, more consideration must be given to protecting the roots.

I understand the urgency, I too have a neighbor I need to screen. Considering the amount of time they have been in, I would let them have this season. If by late summer they still look stressed, I would consider replanting. Keep in mind that fall is the best time for planting trees. It is when the majority of root growth occurs.

If you post a pic, I will take a look.

Thanks for everyones help! Great forum! Will try to get a pic up this evening.