Plant them on at least 6 feet centers. It would be even better, if you desire a faster privacy screen, to plant two staggered rows of them with each being planted on 8 or 10 feet centers, and the staggered rows with holes that are dug at least 6 feet between the front and back rows.

Water them well, but if planting in a clay soil which is not elevated or otherwise draining well, monitor them closely to ensure you do not allow their roots to suffocate by sitting in too much water. Also do not let the roots dry out too much. While the trees are getting adjusted, do your best to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy.

If you want to feed the trees do not use anything more strong than the slow release 4 month lasting, non-burning Osmocote. This fertilizer can even be mixed into the planting backfill soil without burning the roots.

In October apply more osmokote by spreading it under the trees and gently scrape small amounts of the top soil and mix in the fertilizer. Also spread cedar mulch under the tree if your soil seems to dry out too quickly.

If the trees become stressed and their needles growing on the lower branches begin to yellow, do not cut off those branches; not even if they begin to appear as though they have died. You can remove any dry needles you desire, but do not cut off any entire branches. Just like most arborvitae trees, Green Giants will not regrow any branches, which you cut further back than anywhere the needles have been growing out from.

When any branches have appeared to die, take the time to determine if your tree needs less water, more water, or a better watering system. Once you correct the problem and the tree becomes happy again, it will begin to produce green needles again on those once dead appearing branches.

Also do not let dogs urinate on any of your Green Giant trees. These trees will begin to die if a medium to large size dog has consistantly been allowed to use them as a place to urinate on at least for several weeks.

If your trees are sheltered from the cold winter north and northwest wind, or if they do not receive too much winter direct sun, they might stay green all even all winter. Otherwise they could turn a redish or burnt brown color over the winter months. If this happens do not be alarmed, because once Spring temps warm and rains arrive they should green back up nicely.

I have noticed that Green Giants which stay green year round seem to gain more growth height throughout the year. Green Giants which struggle by being planted in poorly draining situations, and or which turn red in the winter seem to grow much more slowly. If these manage to survive they will spread and grow thicker trunks and their top growth will be so slow that the trees stay fairly nicely filled out from top to bottom.

The fast growing trees often begin to send up a growth shoot which appears much more sparce than the bottom parts of the tree. When this happens, if you give the tree a feeding of osmocote the trees will, over a short time, begin to fill out the top growth to be more in balance with the thickness of the lower, older developed part of the tree.

Do not cut off any of the thin looking shoots that burst forth at the top of your trees. Each thin shoot which begins to grow out of the top of your trees is needed for the trees to grow taller.

Thank you so much!