Dig the new holes first, as it will be easier. Do a search on this forum for planting trees, or 'how to plant a tree', how to transplant a tree or 'moving a tree', and you should get lots of recent posts. If you keep the trees well watered - do a search for that too, - then they should be fine. And finally, do mulch them. The trees will grow to somewhere between 35' and 50' tall, and up to 35' wide, but will take a number of years - better than 30 yrs. - to get there. You will have to decide if you want - and have room to grow - 2 specimen treees, where the 2 trees grow as far apart as possible, and the crowns can grow to their fullest extent, or if you want the crowns to be able to grow into each other. If the latter, do you want the crowns to only just touch, or do you want the two trees to grow close to one another, so the crowns act as one tree, fairly soon? If the first, then you need to plant the trunks at least 60' apart, as the maximum width (70') might not happen, and won't for a long time, anyway. I'm not sure you have enough room for that scenario. You then have to decide if you want to have 2 trees that just happened to grow into each other, which means you plant them as far apart as you can manage, given the constraints of your yard. Your other option is to plant the trees about 20' apart, so the crowns grow into each other fairly soon and you end up with a single mass of crown. The last will give you a block of shade, the other growing-together option will let you have shade over more of the house at one time. If you have trouble visualizing it, think about the shade cast by 2 ballons, lit from one side, casting shadows on a wall, and what happens if you move the ballons closer together or farther apart. Whatever you do, you want to plant the trees at least 15', maybe better 25', from the house. You will be longer getting a lot of shade from them at the further distance, but you will have fewer problems with branches against the house and roof. You will probably have to limb them up as they grow, anyway, so you can walk and mow under them. And you may have to limb up the side next to the house, to avoid problems with rubbing, etc.. And remember, you can plant one tree closer to the house, and one further away, unless you really want symmetry. If you have help, and a good imagination, then you can take a broom, or as large an object as you can - hang a sheet over it - and have your helper move about the lawn, holding a "tree", so you can squint at it, and imagine what it would look like, bigger and green, in this pace or that.

I had some 3 year old questions, too, but I've forgotten what they were . . .* Agree that photos would help. Possible causes include root self-strangulation (coiled roots from a potbound plant, which circle round the trunk and strangle it as they thicken with growth), deep planting (burying the tree too deep for the roots to get the surface soil aeration they need), and fungal disease (some decay fungi in the roots of the old tree might be pathogenic enough to kill the new tree). Resin * Sorry, couldn't resist! ;-)

In the latter case if you are in an area with unsuitable autumn weather or soils this can affect results with fall color of maples. The Tatarian maple cultivar is selected for use in areas with alkaline soils etc. but red maples do not color well in alkaline soils - and fall color of seedling red maples varies from yellow to nearly purple depending on the genetics of the individual seedlings. Plantings or wild stands of genetically distinct individuals (rather than multiple specimens of a clonal cultivar) can be a kaleidoscope of different colors in autumn. Root damage I don't see as being related. In fact, if you stuck them in using care to avoid root damage that could have been a mistake. The most important thing when planting a tree is to make sure the roots are spread out in the hole and not kinked or circling, and that the same soil is present throughout the hole, with no zones of differing soils. Intact original soil balls are not desirable unless the backfill soil and the soil around the hole all happen to be the same as the soil inside the rootball - not a usual circumstance.

Hello everyone. I am in a bit of a spot. I want a nice bright red fall tree in front of my house. The area I would put this tree is about 15' from our power/phone line that crosses over our front yard. So basically the tree would have no growth restrictions except this power line which would be 12' up, and 12' to the left of the tree. I also grow/play with bonsai.. and my thought is to plant the tree, and literally bonsai style it. Develop a main leader and wire/turnbuckle it to sweep to the right.. growing diagonally with a second (first branch) towards the power line and pruning and ramify it to be basically a "pad" well below the power line, and have the apex directed well away from the line. Has anyone tried to modify growth habits of either of these trees (even a red maple) like I am describing? I would think it could be done. Just really looking for input. I had also looked at the Fire Dragon cultivar of the Shantung maple which would be ideal for this, but you can only buy them in Texas, they do not ship them, and I cannot make that drive. Any input would be appreciated. Ray