Debbie, After I dig the hole for the tree, I use a knife and cut the roots on the side of the root ball so the roots will integrate into the soil. Then I put the tree in the hole and back fill it with native soil, the soil you dug out in the first place. Then I water it real good, every other day the first week after planting. If it doesnt'look like it's dying, then I am going to guess that you didn't cut the roots of the ball on the side. You didn't put anything back in the hole but the regular soil, right? Did you put alot of cow manure in the hole? They will probably be alright, just wait til spring and if they don't grow any, dig them up and cut the roots on the ball. Oh, and don't forget to mulch them. Mulch at least 2 inches, nad not too close to the trunk.

An old saying about plant growth.......First year they sleep, second year they creep, third year they leap. Generally true-it takes time for the roots to take hold and develop as the previous poster has mentioned-then the new growth sets in. Some other tips-mulch new plantings and use an anti-desicant spray on hollys to protect from drying out in winter. I agree-you should see some new growth in the Spring.

Thanks for the comments. This dieback didn't occur during winter, it occurred during last summer after the gardener planted them. During the winter, I did get a little bit of winter leaf burn, but I trimmed off the leaves, and that damage was a lot less. OK, I will try pruning the dead stems down a little further. I have no other space to put them, actually, not sure what I would do with them if I took them out. If I put the 2 damaged ones right next to eachother I could perhaps get 1 full looking holly but that probably isn't good for the plants. That is a downspout nearby, yes. It empties into the pond, so fortunately doesn't flood the sky pencils. As for the A/C unit, it's been a while since we had it on but I think the hot air coming out of the unit mostly goes upward. That is a good point, though I didn't think about air coming out of the compressor potentially affecting these shrubs. I will evaluate this summer. (Last year my worries were all about the shrubs shortening the life of our A/C unit.... my thoughts were the other way around). Sounds like I need to be patient and there may be some hope for these hollies.... may be it will bother me less once I figure out what to plant in front of them

Hi. Has anyone tried growing Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil' in our alkaline clay soil? Wasatch Shadows Nursery warns it prefers acidic soil and can be prone to chlorosis in alkaline soil. I had wanted to use it in a part sun/part shade area as accent to my front walkway, so it needs to look good and healthy. I've also heard it can be prone to snow damage so you end up having to tie it up in winter. I can't recall if I've actually seen it growing in anyone's yard here although the nurseries sell it. Also, although the USDA says my zip code is z7b I try to buy plants hardy to zone 5. This plant is often listed as zone 7-9. So, with all these red flags, should I just forget it? I really like the look.