have any of you HARDENED them off to full sun application .... IF THEY CAME FROM A GREENHOUSE/shadehouse ... perhaps they are burning up.. because you blasted them out to full blistering sun???? when i order conifers.. i always try to remember to ask upon order.. or call them back when i get them.. to ask if they came from a greenhouse ... the next question would be how your zone compare between yours and where they are shipped from ... if they are growing lushly in z8 .. and you plant them asap in z4 in very early spring ... again.. there might be hardening off issues .... but to temps this time .... just speculating ... the grafters in WA and OR... tend to leave them outdoors the second winter.. or what they call winter.. lol ... but GG's are a rooted plant ... and it wouldnt surprise me if they are in green or shade houses .... ken

My lawn care guy said it's due to broken foliage... ====>>>> he is a pretty smart guy .... they were either damaged in shipping ... to the seller.. or shipping to your house... or by the planting .... it is irrelevant .... cant impress that any more ... get some good pruners... just track down the stem.. and snip it out .... first pic.. i would prefer to see the grass removed.. and a mulch ring of at least one foot in excess of the plant.. and you should be all set ... make sure they are deeply watered late into the fall ... but not frozen into a root zone ice cube if you live where the ground freezes ... EXPECT some interior browing or yellowing this fall ... and perhaps next year.. ENTIRELY normal .... and increased by the planting and shipping ... frankly.. they look wonderful .. QUIT WORRYING ABOUT THEM.. keep them well watered.. and by a year from now.. next fall.. they should be free range ... ken

what bboy means.. is that GG is a hybrid between Thuja standishii x Thuja plicata 'Green Giant' .. and not simply a Thuja ... regardless.. it is dead.. you wont know why until you dig it up .. if not shipping.. handling or watering.. there is even a chance that the balling itself.. chopped off too many roots... please review the planting instructions at the link.. and if you replace it.. SKIP ALL AMENDMENTS.. and plant high in clay ... and do it in the right season.. june is getting late in many 0parts of the country.. to do it best .... since GG can grow 2 to 3 feet per year.. even in cold zones.. i dont really understand why you bought it so big ... a smaller plant is easier to get home.. easier to plant.. and easier to get re-established ... and... you can buy a potted one.. and not worry about all the roots being chopped off ... also skip the snake oil quick start .. unless you have some left ... its of no harm.. its just not worth the money .... and i have no clue what a deep root waterer is ... but INSURE that the root mass never dries.. nor gets too wet.. you check with your finger.. or a small trowel ... had you done that this time.. you would have know if it was too wet or too dry ... something bothers me about your plant.. i am not sure it is a GG ... it looks too pendulous .... but the pics are too small for me to see well ... maybe joy will tell us ... hit the warranty .. take the money.. and buy a smaller plant.. i would bet a buck.. a 3 footer... will outgrow the other in 5 years .... good luck ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

I think many conifers grow very slowly. Pine trees are the exception. They grow very fast. You may consider those, but they are wayyyyyy more than 20ft. Another fast growing conifer is the Witchita Blue Juniper. It will get 4-8 ft wide and 15-20 ft tall. If you plant them, make sure to plant 4 feet next to each other. It can be used as a screen or a windbreak and will need no pruning. It also has appealing color. Goodluck with what ever you choose.