Question
Hello,
We live in Syracuse, NY.  A local grower planted 25, 6-8 foot local cedar trees in our yard for a border.  They were planted in May of 07.  We watered very often in the summer months but we called him back and told him several of the trees were turning brown and loosing needles.  We filled 8 large plastic bags with needles after the winter.
He said to wait till the spring and he would take care of it then.  Well here it is May of 08 and about 5-6 of the trees are completely brown, 7-8 have fresh growth from the middle up and the rest are fine.  He said he would replace the dead trees but not the ones that are green from the middle to the top because he said the deer ate the bottom branches.  He said he knows this because some of the bare branches still have some new growth on them.  I am very upset because he is only replacing 6 of the dead trees and telling us to fertilize the rest and they will come back next year.(He did not tell us what fertilizer to use). When he planted the root balls 3 feet apart, he did not remove the canvas or wire mesh. He also did not use any top soil and put back the clay soil he dug out.  He finished off the job with 5-6 inches of mulch to keep them moist.
We are very concerned and think he does not know what he is doing and does not have our concerns in mind. Our natural border is a mess. Can you make any suggestions?
Thank you for your help
Regards
Christine  

Answer
I see several general  problems
The burlap and the wire need to be removed as the trees are planted.

The new hole should be twice the size of the rootball and as deep. The depth of the plant should be to the top of the rootball and not any deeper and filled with good top soil or potting soil.

The mulch should not be more than 3 inches deep and not piled around the tree trunk.

Evergreens only need water when it does not rain for a week to ten days. Over watering can cause the tree to turn brown.

Deer can eat the foliage but You would see the teeth marks and the branch would be half bitten off.

I would tell the "planter" you will do it his way but if they die you expect them to be replaced. And see that he plants them properly the next time.

You can contact the local office of the NY Forestry agency and ask one of their Forester to take a look at the planting job and they can advise you after seeing the conditions. Their number should be in your local phone book.