Pix would help and tell where you are and how it was planted. Did you tease the roots out?

tj

That’s interesting. I did attach several pictures and they didn’t post. I will try again.

I think you might have gotten your photos confused :-) Reiger begonia versus arborvitae.......

Yes, to many distractions today!

In the last picture, you will notice stems that are just scattered around the base of the plant. We do have plenty of deer and it appears they bite the stems off but don’t eat them. I’m going to put some deer netting over them, but I’m thinking it might need some nutrients.

While deer are known to rate arborvitaes of all types very high on their menu preferences, that is not all that is wrong with these shrubs. The color is off. It should be a deep green with some lighter coloring at the tips. These look very yellow and somewhat dry. The two could be related or it might be more than one factor causing distress. I'd dig down and examine the root system. Is it looking very dry? Are the roots still confined or have the started to extend from the original rootball? What does the soil look like? Ever had it tested?

Ultimately, this is a losing battle. The deer will always enjoy the arbor vitae more than you will. Boxwood is one rescue option.

Thanks, garden gal and Dan. Interestingly, I removed green velvet boxwoods and replaced them with different shrubs this time. I love the boxwoods but wanted a different look. . These arbs did very well throughout the fall and into the winter. I do plan to check the root ball that could be the culprit because it does look more dry and yes, garden gal, I know this should be green with yellow tips. Not only was I concerned about the deer, nibbling, but the lack of green color.

Deer do love arborvitae but they stay away from green giants. My green giants are big and beautiful!

I have deer. Now that you know how they enjoy Arborvitae, I don’t see the value in trying to maintain that shrub in a spot where deer can reach it, since it’s an evergreen, useful as foundation or part of “ bones” /structure of a mixed planting. While I mostly stick to deer “ resistant “ plants, I do plant a few risky things that are perennials , and have inherited some hosta (which I love and would live to have more) , so I spray a bit but am not always keeping up or lucky. But those plants aren’t killed, usually were not expensive, so I can move some or decide to give up.

Yes, I do know deer enjoy arborvitae, but my son has these and he’s a few miles away and they’ve done fine with minimal nibbling. Last fall I was willing to take the risk. I think I’m going to check the root ball. Give it a good watering and see if it bounces back. I also have deer netting so we shall see. If all else fails, I will replace it with something more deer resistant, like a small scale boxwood. Thanks for everyone’s input.

We have many deer and they have never bothered my bowling balls. Maybe it's because I have hydrangeas planted nearby and they are like candy to the deer. 😒

After taking a closer look at the Arbovitae, I’m thinking it may not be deer damage after all. Instead, it seems like some of the branches are dying and falling off, as seen in the picture above. The fallen branches are scattered around the base, but I’m not sure what’s causing it.

As a precautionary measure and to deter deer late winter, I applied Liquid Fence, though I don’t believe that would be responsible for the yellowing or the shrub’s declining appearance. To be proactive, I plan to do a soil test to check for any nutrient deficiencies or pH imbalances. I’ll amend the soil as needed and give it a deep watering. Since it’s still early, there’s hope—it’s not completely brown, just yellowing with some brown spots. With the right care, I’m optimistic it will recover.

fwiw:

Rabbits can do as much damage as deer when the plants are on the small size like mr bb.

Looks dead to me, would need replaced. The plant doesn't look partially dead or just chewed on. Looks dried out, but you said you watered. Doubt you can blame animals, unless the deer pulled it out of the ground. Maybe it was stressed out before you bought it. Conifer can take a while to brown out during the dormant season.