hi hard to tell.. but it looks telephone poled.. probably planted too deep .... unless the mulch is hiding such ... strike one ... and you are right.. probably dont here that often enough .... the hated willow is probably sucking the water you should be giving to the conifer ... i dont know if you can save it.. but increase water to that plant.. but insure you do it properly.. water deeply thru its root zone .... and check with your finger repeatedly on that plant... to insure it gets enough to start competing ... whether or not that one can be saved.. i dont know .... i had a willow at the old house.. about 8 feet DIAMETER ... nothing under the canopy .. could compete.. in fact it was near impossible to get a shovel in the soil ... ken

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.

The planters are open on the bottom to the soil beneath, however the soil beneath is composed of rocky clay soil that doesn’t seem to drain well. FWIW, I think the rest of the planter gets decent drainage by excess water leaving the planter through the spaces between the bricks (I’ve watched this happen when hand-watering previously). However, within the last year in the troubled section, adding additional soil outside of the planter between the planter and hot-tub (to prevent rodents from getting underneath the tub) may have prevented that section from draining similarly to the rest of the planter.

Christopher, I'm not as hot as you are (I'm in Petaluma) and even here, I have learned, sadly, that I can only plant woody plants in late autumn/winter. If I plant in spring I cannot keep up with the watering and the bone dry air is a real hindrance. If that photo was taken here, it would mean that they were on the way out. I do 80% of my planting in November, and then complete the rest of it during December and January. The only things that I plant in January/February are those that might be slightly tender, and I have to watch them like a hawk for the summer. Putting an umbrella or similar structure over them for the first summer can help. All of the questions about soil type and planting methodology are good ones, but no matter what you did, with the hot dry temps in summer it is really hard for newly planted woody plants to get established, no matter how much you water.