When planting more than one tree in the same pot or creating a 'group planting' or 'forest scene' as aesthetic go there should always be an odd number of trees ( having a three or five tree plantings for example). One problem that must be watched out for when purchasing any Japanese Maple from a nursery is that it is always grafted and the graft union is usually sloppy or highly noticeable. While this can sometimes be to an extent that prevents it from being hidden there are usually ways of removing it (such as ground or air-layering) as well as ways to diminish its apparent visual affect over time. Fireglow is great for being one of the fewer species of Acer that tolerate being grown in full sun locations very well. That being said you may have quite some trouble with keeping it healthy and happy since even thought its zone preference does max out at zone 9 it is still taking this species to the limit of what it can withstand. So if thing dont end up working that well that is a possible candidate. Professionally will always tell you to not allow moss to grow in the pot all year long. This is due the fact that it can not only prevent the soil from allowing the moisture to eveaporate from it keeping the soil wet for too long which anyone familiar with the art knows is a very bad thing. It also can prevent the soil from becoming evenly wet when watering causing dry spots which will kill all the roots in the area as well as other issues and problems. Moss is usually placed in a pot a few weeks or months prior to a show (enough time for it to establish) and is then removed after the show has ended. Sorry if anything I said might have sounded a little negative or unsettling but I just wanted to help give you some insight and ideas to think about. Hope all goes well and good luck. -Mike

This is not typical for a 2 year old tree. If the soil was too wet after it leafed out, the roots could begin to suffer from the water and the tree will shut down distally as you have mentioned. There is not a typical watering schedule for any tree. Some trees like to dry out between waterings like pines, and some trees like evenly moist soil throughout the growing season and do not like to dry out. Clethra come to mind in this respect. You must water any tree per it's needs versus the weather and rain you have been experiencing in your area. I had a Crimson Prince Japanese maple in this same situation and it finally expired. If you can get your money or replacement tree, thank the nursery and get it done. I would make sure that if you are planting anymore Japanese maples, that they have great drainage and do not have wet feet. Take Care,

Hmmm...where to start. First of all, there are nearly a thousand different cultivars of Japanese maples. About a third (or maybe more) of them have red leaves at least a portion of the year. Secondly, japanese red maple would be a misleading name since a red maple is a native maple to the US that has green leaves and red flowers. Red japanese maple would make more sense. So, "Japanese red maple" could refer to one of hundreds of cultivars that have been reproduced by grafting, or it could be a red seedling that shows good red characteristics. This would mean that 'red select' is a specific cultivar of a red japanese maple. You must also consider whether or not it is a weeping red dissectum (fine lacy leaves) or an upright palmatum (star shaped leaves). 'Red select' is one of many red dissectum cultivars (lacy and weeping). I think 'red select' is a seedling from 'inaba shidare' (guys I know Vertrees claims that they are one in the same, but I have convincing information that says otherwise). They are similar, but some claim there are distinct differences (and by distinct I mean practically with a magnifying glass). Other similar common cultivars include 'crimson queen', 'tamukeyama', 'garnet', and the newer 'red dragon'. A couple of good red upright cultivars include 'bloodgood' and 'fireglow'. Search these names and this should shed some light on what the differences are.

Better still would be to layer the top off above the graft, something I do as a matter of course. Here is a picture of a Zelcova I'm 'shortening' (on right). Pay no attention to the planting on the left. The photo was taken as part of a series to illustrate before/after pruning of the Radermachia. The Zelcova was actually incidental to the picture; I just remembered it was in the shot. You can remove all the bark & cambial tissues in a ring equal to 1.5X the diameter of the branch you're layering; or, you can leave the bark intact and simply wrap a couple of zip ties (locate them as close together as you can get them - touching is best) tightly around the trunk & wait. How I do it: A) determine where I want the root base to develop B) wrap the zip ties below that point in late summer before I'm going to do the layering C) (important) Wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the area where you eventually want roots to grow & secure it so the area just below the zip ties to just above is in total darkness. This increases the plant's response to the polar movement of auxin and promotes the preformation of root primordia, so when the layer is completed in spring, you have a considerable jump on the process. BTW - the zip ties block the polar flow of photosynthate/carbohydrates and auxin. A very noticeable bulge will form immediately above the constriction point where the carbohydrates collect in the auxin-rich tissues. Fortunately, the prominent bulge adds a considerable amount of (visual) strength to your composition after the layer is separated from the tree. D) Start the layering process in spring. In most cases, after the separation if not before, buds will break below the layer site, providing you with another tree you can plant out, layer again later, or use as a source of grafting material. Al