It is common and here's why: When trees are dug up from the nursery and moved to landscapes, there is usually a loss of 75 to 95 percent of the roots. It takes trees a few years, depending on size, to reestablish those roots. It would not be unexpected, then, to see some needle browning and needle drop, as the recent transplant tree simply does not have enough roots to supply moisture to all the branches and needles.

For now, mulch under the tree beginning a few inches from the trunk and going out to a couple of feet beyond where the branches extend. Use a wood chip or pine needle mulch about 2 inches thick. This will help keep the soil cool and moist. Check under the mulch periodically to see if the soil is drying beneath and if so, it is time to water the tree. Water during extended winter dry spells. During the summer you can mist the tree occasionally with a mist nozzle. Of course you will want to follow your community's watering restriction days and times.

As for fertilizer, wait another year or two before applying fertilizer under this tree. If the tree is in a lawn or close to a lawn area, the fertilizer applied to the lawn should be sufficient for the tree.