Arborvitae looking bad

[didan]

Late last summer, my wife and I planted a row of arbor vitae. They did fine in the winter and have been doing OK until recently. The past two weeks, the leaves on many of them have turned a pale yellow green and have a very dry, crumbly texture. The soil is very moist after a wet spring here in the northeast, so we don't think it's lack of water. (Can it be too much water?) It's a pretty sunny site. We did plant fertilizer spikes about three feet uphill from them, and are wondering if maybe too much fertilizer may have gotten to the trees. We dug up a few of the spikes, and they're down to their last inch or so after only three weeks. The arbor vitae are about 4 feet tall. We're desperate to save these; any suggestions? We live five miles from the coast, about 20 miles north of Boston (Zone 5 or 6, depending on whose map you use).

 

[Darin]

My guess, without looking at them is that they might have recieved too much water or too much fertilizer. They might have drowned or might have burt the root system. As there is more water it will disolve the fertilzer spikes faster. Hence, putting out too much fertilizer. Many times those are a slow release fertilizer stick so this wont happen. I dont know what you used. I would pull the fert spikes like you did and keep them damp but not wet. This is the best I can tell you without look at them.
Darin