how many did you plant? you should expect some losses ... whether your fault or the suppliers ... potted or ball and burlap??? in other words .. can we be certain they werent dug improperly from the nursery? what is the water situation under the affected trees .. dig a small hole .. and see if they are dry or overly wet ... if you have a warranty .. discuss such with your supplier ... though it may be the neighbors watering impacting certain plants.. it might be a whole lot of other problems ... so don't go burning bridges with the neighbor just yet ... more info please .. ken

is the one in the pic still in a pot.. or did you really plant it 6 inches from one wall.. and 12 inches from the other??? .. i bet that wall is cooking it with reflected and retained heat ... what are you going to do when it is 25 feet tall and 8 feet wide??? .; see link I'm spraying the trees every time I water them and it gets pretty windy up here in the desert, ===>>> is that the only water.. or are you actually watering the roots also?? ken Here is a link that might be useful: they are monsters

Faizan, How tall were these trees when you planted them ( the ones pictured without the privacy fence) Those seem to just have some branch die outs but, those smaller ones that are all brown are history. I live in zone 8 as well or about 4 hours North of the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama. The first pics of the small trees holes that were dug needed to be wider and deeper. I have to plant mine in impervious red clay-loam type soil that doesn't drain well (see my posts on GG's and Leland's) In your case, I'd dig it deeper so the trees roots have a softer bottom to grow in but when the trees are set back in the holes spread out the roots like an octopus would look like with it's tentacles all out. Make sure the root ball or trunk base is an inch or two above the ground grade and put back in the dirt you removed (minus the rocks) and walk it in to get rid of air pockets (don't stomp the dirt down). Depending on the soil moisture, that will depend on how much you water it in. Don't water log them. Put 2-3 inches of mulch around the root ball and outer drip line for a top dressing. Don't pile up the mulch around the trunk! I'd come back the next day and wet the mulch until you see it build up and go into the ground and stop. I don't see any need in making berms around the trees (unless the ground grade requires it) as this encourages water to pond in there if you get too much rain or watering. Check the trees in a few days as others have mentioned for moisture content. I'm going to get about 12 Italian's this Spring to plant but haven't found a good seller around me to purchase them. I've always read the smaller grow faster than the bigger when planting and it seems to be the status quo with Leland's and GG's so far. I hope this helps you out and please look at my posts regarding the planting and techniques I've put in place for problem soils down here. Let me know.

i'll chime in and agree, and confirm the fast growth. I grew a crop from seed (a friend brought them back from Corsica) about 5-6 years ago and they are over the eaves of a one-story house already. So if you are attached to this species, you can get a couple of new ones and get decent-sized trees in short order.