Recently planted tree question

Ten days doesn't seem very long for a transplanted tree to take hold.

Don't overwater!

Maybe our NG forester could weigh in?

Persephone

Could be transplant shock, root stock damage, etc, let them be for a while, and water conservatively, to much is not a good thing. Then again, you could have let the roots dry out on the last one, hard to tell without knowing, or seeing, the details.

These trees are about 9 ft tall. I've been giving them 5 gals ever other day, drip.

I'm in a semi arid area, and I've been told cottonwoods take lots of water.

You may be over watering.

You don't say the size of these trees... were they transported in an open vehicle? How were they transported to your planting area... if only one lost all its leaves in so short a time it's probably from wind damage during transport, that one tree was probably not as well protected. Give it about a month and new leaves should appear, but they will look stunted, next year's leaves should look normal. A deep watering once a week is plenty, a light watering every two-three days does more harm than good.

Yesterday I planted a Colorado spruce "Fat Albert", I've another to plant today:

If you're in a "semi arid area", why on Earth would you plant cottonwoods, knowing that they "take lots of water"?