A side thought - although it's been cool, I think the long, cold winter meant that even the earlier-leafing trees were still stone-cold dormant well into March, where many years, at least their "juices start flowing" so to speak in February, so that it doesn't take much additional warmth to break bud. My understanding is that most species, after their dormancy/winter chill requirements are met, stay dormant until a certain number of "degree days" (accumulated hours over a certain temperature) are accumulated. This year, that process didn't even really START until Mid March to any real degree - most years it probably starts sometime in February or even January. Even the Acer rubrums around here weren't blooming until about the last of March - sometimes they bloom in February (in January a few years ago, in fact). I have Azaleas that PEAKED on March 28 in 2012 (a ridiculously warm year, of course) that are just now opening. Most years they bloom around mid to late April.

1. When you stick your finger into the root mass up to the second knuckle and the soil feels either hot or dry. 2. Long enough so the entire root mass gets saturated. 3. Enough to accomplish #2. You see, we don't know your soil, so no specific numbers can be given for your questions. You have to learn your soil's parameters. Are the trees mulched? tj

Geographic variation. Any old go-to-hell sugar maple around here will be good to brilliant in the fall. You'd have to work at it to find a dull one. So for whatever reason, the genetics of the one you ended up with don't produce those brilliant colors. At least that's what I think. IOW's, I don't think it's soil, weather, etc. +oM

It's hard for me to tell from that distance. Can you take a closer photo of the leaf shape? You may be able to ID it yourself by googling images of "Norway maple vs. Sugar maple" or similar. http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/images/acpl-sa2.jpg http://homepage2.nifty.com/chigyoraku/worldleaf1.jpeg