My little collection of Dalmatian figurines.

There would be no specific reason to follow that watering schedule - unless it had been very hot for a week and then showery for all the subsequent weeks. Certainly the nursery should not be making a blanket recommendation to water daily for a week, and then once per week afterward - when to water is when a particular plant needs it, on a particular planting site. And no conventionally grown plant is going to be fully established after only one week - see discussion at above link. Unfortunately no new foliage is going to appear next year where you see brown all the way to the outside now. The only way the balls are going to recover themselves is by remaining live portions growing over the parts that have gone brown and dead, from the sides. The extent of the browning suggests to me that there is a cultural issue, such as a failed approach to watering or a foliage disease problem. If you are in the US you might try clipping off samples, as well as taking photos to the nearest USDA Cooperative Extension Service branch office for help with problem identification. You will have to be able to get there when they are open during weekdays.

welcome to the forums ... you havent given us anything to go on ... how about a pic.. use the camera/photo button under the box you type a reply in ... wait until the pic comes into focus.. before hitting send ... how about some history.. when planted.. how did you do that.. how do you water.. whats your native soil.. does ti drain ... was it potted.. how big is it.. did you do any root surgery.. or at least observe such ... what did they look like... where are you.. and whats the weather been since 6 months before the problems started .. etc.. ad nauseum ... it doesnt sound good.. all dead material should be properly pruned off ...we can give suggestions on that.. based on the pic ... ken

this is unvarnished.. so take it for what its worth .... i suspect.. it was pot grown for too long.. that is had badly circling roots ... that the clay soil led to watering issues ... and that it is hit with lawn irrigation every day .. most pine dont like wet leaves ... [in the alternative.. it was field grown.. and the root mass butchered on potting for sale ...] i also suspect.. that it is dying of not dead .. and even if a few buds do make it ... there will be so much other destruction that you really should NOT have it outside your gorgeous castle ... there is no reason to not wait until spring.. to see what happens .. but if anything i said above comes true.. just get it out of there ... i might bet my shiny penny ... that at that point.. you might be able to grab it.. and simply lift it out of the clay hole ... due to root rot .. or whatever ... time to divest ... and i will spare you what most of us think of poodle trees.. lol .. but if you like them.. all the power to ya ... ken ps: imo.. sow bugs are irrelevant ...