Water it when the soil is dry; dig down down a few inchesn to see. Mulch it, if you haven't already done so - as widely as possible, no deeper than 4" and no mulch in the 2-3" next to the trunk. Don't fertilize it. If the cambium, the layer just under the bark, is green whenever you scratch lightly at a twig/branch, then the tree is still alive and can recover. Good luck.

This is not a new thing, although it may be in your area. It is variously called "maple decline", or "maple blight", and a few other things, and has been documented and studied for decades. It doesn't seem to have any single cause. Seems to be a highly variable combination of weather patterns, bugs, molds, soil problems, and any other stresses that could affect a tree. Just an interacting jigsaw puzzle of things that, in most years, are minor irritations. Some years, they just plain gang up on the trees. Some recover fully, with no apparent ill effects. Some die. Some lose a limb or three. Come spring, cut out dead limbs, fertilize gently, and water when they might need it. Contact your local county extension agent for info on what has been happening in your area. And don't panic. Many may make it through. It just may have been a really bad concatenation of weather and pests working together this year.

Your tree is planted in a pot with soil which is most likely your problem. Watch this two part video by Walter Pall explaining why. (Even though you aren't training your tree into a bonsai it is still a tree so the concepts still apply). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccOGUj9b6dc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pij3eGv-nW0 Idk if you've heard of AI (aka tapla) but he is basically the messiah around here and he has written this massive explanation of this concept. If you don't have the patience to read it all just ctrl+f "5-1-1" or "gritty mix" and those are some soil mixes you can try. I think 5-1-1 is probably your best bet though. http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2842847/container-soils-water-movement-and-retention-xxii Some common products that people get in the states that are much better alternatives to soil are: Turface, pumice, fine pine/fir bark, and Napa Floor Dry (there are others just surf around on here and you'll definitely find more information, you just need to look). Also since this will probably require you to repot your plant keep these things in mind when you do it. 1) keep the roots wet when you remove them to prevent them to drying out and dying 2) take a fork or a small hand rake to separate the roots so they aren't clumped together 3) if the roots have grown so much that they wrap around the soil ball when you pull it out of the that means the plant is rootbound and you need to prune them back so that the tree can absorb water and nutrients and water without being choked out by its other roots. In conclusion Google is definitely your friend, good luck! :D Conan

I agree on the leaf problem. Largely ignore it. Does picture 4 show a number of old wounds on the trunk which are being encapsulated well? Maybe I'm seeing wrong on the old CRT monitor. If so, did you have another tree removed a decade or so ago which exposed this one to more sun? Again if so, there isn't alot to do about it at this point. The tree is going to have them sealed off shortly. If they are mushy inside I might call someone to have a look.