Arborvitaes needs lots and lots of water, especially when they're newly planted. Some mulch wouldn't have hurt either. One is dead, one is very sick, one might be salvageable. But I have to wonder if you know just how big a Green Giant is supposed to get, because that entire bed is too small for even ONE of them, with nothing else planted in it. They can go 12-20 ft. spread and 50-60 ft. tall. That's why they're called "Green Giant". Emerald Green Arborvitae might have been a better choice, and DeGroot's Spire even better than that.

Yep, no more sharing, I learned my lesson. Just feel really bad I dug it up in the first place...but she was doing so much work/planting in her yard already...and we set up an evening to dig up/pick up...I surely didn't expect this! I do believe, like Ken said, it was not properly planted in the pot (because the intention was that it was going to be planted right away!) and it was not watered (her comment, "I watered when I remembered." It was extremely wet when I came and got it, although she knew I was coming to get it late the evening before. Partially my fault, had I known it was going to sit ANY length of time, I would have properly planted it in the pot, but the timing was arranged between us both, for what suited us both, and I was under the impression the tree was going to be planted right away. And...what I can learn from this is...just not to do it again! I had one of these shrubs, in a different location, suffer greatly from salt runoff (I believe). I was sure it was dead. This thing was brown in spots, and BLACK in other spots...no green whatsoever. It came back, eventually. I guess I had a small hope that perhaps this one would. I learned to keep sidwalk salt away from them, keep dogs from peeing on them (learned from experience they burn from dog pee), and now neglectful friends....lol.

As I'm sure Ken's link explains, digging a planting hole in clay soil and mixing in a relatively high percentage of OM simply creates a bucket in which you hope to get your plants to grow. They won't.....or at least, not for long. What you have created is a planting hole that retains water in the organic matter and is unable to drain freely because of the clay surround. This is a recipe for oxygen deprivation and root rot. If you need to plant in clay soils - and many of us do - you need to dig a very wide but quite shallow planting hole with sloped and roughened edges. Set in the plant with the top of the root ball several inches above grade and backfill with the soil you removed, unamended. Slope this material gently up to the top of the rootball, creating a small mound or berm. You can put whatever organic matter/mulch you like as top dressing.

you can see all the trunks.. yes ... had you asked back then.. and if you could have found them at that price.. we would have suggested single leader plants ... which would not be prone to this .. but that is water under the bridge ... get some twine.. that will eventually rot.. not nylon or plastic stuff ... like at the link.. half miles worth.. lol ... spread your arm apart.. and double or triple it.. making a nice 3 foot piece .... and go tie the trunks together.. twice or so.. 2 feet apart [you didnt tell us how big, so i am guessing on how many] .... no need to do it tightly.. we are just using the whole.. to add structure ... and it should be put back near its usual shape... and then... hope for the best ... the KEY is that .. should you forget to release them from their bondage for a decade or two.. the stuff will rot away ... the only real problem.. would be another severe ice/snow or whatever storm.. as they may now have the potential to break.. instead of bending ... and then your problem will be solved.. because you will get rid of them .... this might also be another argument for planting a monoculture .... so if it ever comes to replacing some.. think about other types of plants ... good luck ken Here is a link that might be useful: you didnt say how many hundred you planted .. lol ..