Question
QUESTION: I live in the piedmont region of North Carolina and have planted 12 Green Giants approximately 8ft. apart. They were planted in February of 2007. We have had exceptional drought this summer and I watered them periodically with a hose for about 5 minutes/ tree. I noticed recently (October) that the leaves or needles of the tree are brown from the trunk of the tree outward. The outer portion of the limbs and the tops of the tree are still green. Are these trees dying or is it normal for this tree? What do you suggest I do? I regularly checked the trees and have not noticed any discoloration until recently. They have not been exposed to pesticides or vegetation killers.

ANSWER: It sounds like a response to the drought. Conifers will drop their needles from the inside when they are stressed by a drought. Some needle drop is normal in conifers --deciduous trees drop their leaf all at once once a year (in the fall) conifers will have two sets of needles and they will shed their older needles as they grow new ones. This is not what you described.
Watering for 5 minutes per tree is more than likely not enough. A small tree needs 1 inch of water  per week. One way to measure this is put a pan under the tree and turn the sprinkler on and when the pan has 1 inch of water in it stop. This will deep water the tree. Watering for time you would need to calibrate the amount of water coming out of the hose. The objective is to wet the soil down to about 6 inches deep and not let the water run off.

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QUESTION: Thanks for you quick follow-up. Do you think these trees are dying? My understanding is that these trees tolerate drought conditions well. Is there anything you suggest I do to stimulate their growth this coming spring? I did not mention this before but these trees are approximately 10ft. tall and were purchased from a tree farm. Don't know if this information would be useful for your opinion. Thanks.

Answer
No I do not think they are dying. Just keep them watered when it does not rain. I would fertilize them next spring with 10-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter. Scatter this around the tree under the foliage and water in good.