Are the problem plants scattered randomly or clustered?

Clay will not allow water to drain, could there be a solid layer of clay not allowing drainage? Dig down close to a bad one and see if there is water pooling there.

Plants are like crying babies, you don’t know what the problem is.

 

Thank you for the reply. For the most part, yes there is clustering. The fourth image shows a good example of a group of 4 or 5 that are struggling. Now you can also see healthy, vibrant ones next to them.

The heat index sometimes hits 100+ especially July-August down here in Mississippi. I am contemplating increasing water frequency to every other day.
As far as the clay layer, it is under half of them. But nothing ever percs as this is mainly on a hill. Only percs If we get a torrential flood all of a sudden. But within an hour of rain ceasing, there is no water pooling anywhere.

I am also considering adding compost and more robust mulch than the pine straw I used initially (free to me with all the pine trees around here). Bahiagrass around here takes over EVERYTHING!

 

Check for water a foot or so down

 

Hit them with a mix of Holly Tone, Milorganite and Espon salt in the spring and in July and make sure you don’t have bagworms on them. I have 50 giant arbs and all 50 are growing like crazy. I planted them May of 2024. I have my pest control company spray them every 3 months for bagworms and any other insect that can kill them

 

Here are two pictures of some bugs I found on the worst green giant I have. They don’t resemble any bag worms I’ve seen online, but I’m still going to Sevin the tree first thing in the morning. I checked all my other struggling trees and no sign of these little bugs.

 

Perfect idea with the sevin. Ensure you put on a heavy dose in the top of the branches as well as under neath the branches. Don’t be aftraid to hit some of the soil underneath a little bit as well. Next week if you want I’d hit it with a mix of Neem oil and Dr. Bronner’s castile soap as well. Whatever you got going on there will be sure killed off. I’d also do the mix of Milorganite/Holly Tone and Epson salt around the drip line of each tree as well. I use one full red solo cup to each tree. You will see those things green up and take off. Bagwords, aphids etc. are detrimental to to the full potential of growth of the tree.