They look like they've been sheared, which doesn't help their shape. But they should recover and look more natural in a year or two.

More of a concern is that in your climate / area, Douglas-fir is prone to a couple of needlecast diseases (see link below). No sign of any disease at the moment, but it could become a nuisance in the future; it won't kill them, but can leave them looking very sparse-foliaged and unattractive.

PS please avoid posting such huge pics! I had to adblock them all before I could read the accompanying text, as the image width stretches the text across two screenwidths making it nearly impossible to read.

Resin

Here is a link that might be useful: Douglas-fir diseases

'Round here, that *is* Christmas tree quality!
They look fine to me, even with the twiggy tops.

Josh

Depends on what's going on inside them, including the roots - which we can't see here. There were certainly doing well before being dug. If successful each will soon be as big as the blue Colorado spruce.

And if they all survive and grow to their full potential, you'll soon need to remove at least half of them.

Or do you plan a sheared hedge?

Look exactly like Christmas trees to me, bushy and full.

I went with Douglas Firs at the landscaper's suggestion. But is this choice of tree appropriate for what we are looking for, which is a full 100% screen from our neighbors? As these grow, do they become more sparse? My wife especially has huge buyer's remorse and thinks our landscaper steered us wrong.

They look a little stressed. Probably field dug in early Spring.

It would be interesting to know the landscapers planting technique he used.

Wire cage, if any, and burlap removed? Dig down on one side and see what is there. Huge support stakes for this size of plant totally unnecessary. Newly planted trees should not be staked unless the site is continually very windy. Research has shown that the natural movement of the trunk by the wind actually stimulates root growth and increases trunk caliper.

Dave

Just so you understand, riggie. Everyone is telling you that those trees have been trimmed (not good) even though that was your preference. Your landscaper may be a fine person in a lot of ways but his choice of tree is incorrect in that it will be extremely sparse over time and #2, the competing leaders at the tops of each one will need to be let to go for a few years but then gradually thinned so that only one dominant leader is making it's way up. The third thing which I cringe to say even at this point is that someday (a long time from now) since they were planted so closely to one another all that will be left are trunks due to the shade that will be cast below them as they become large. Maybe 25 years, but it will happen. ONLY a consideration. The reaoning behind tall and narrow plants is that they can stay full all their lifetime.

I would never buy a tree that has been trimmed/actually sheared. Nurseries who are not looking into the future will sell christmas looking trees when au nat-ur-al is really the only way a tree should be sold.

Those trees are going to become blighted and/or needle-casted. Wrong tree for your environment.

Be nice to the guy. His berm is nice. Think happy thoughts and get something else.

Dax