Question
I received a Japanese Red Maple potted plant for Mothers' day.  I decided to
keep it in the pot and in the house for the summer as it is quite small --
about 2/3 feet tall -- and I didn't want squirrels or other animals to get at it.

It looks like it is dying.  The leaves are curling and falling off.  I water it
occasionally from the top and don't know what is happening with it.  I read it
is very easy to care for -- I want to keep it thriving so I can put it in my
backyard when it gets bigger.  Do you have any suggestions?

Answer
Cheryl,
Japanese maples like to be in well drained but MOIST soil...if it drys out in between waterings it's leaves will curl and drop.  The funny thing is, however, that if the plant is kept too swampy wet it will do the same thing.

If I had a small Japanese maple I'd plant it in a large WIDE pot (at least 2 feet wide) with good potting soil - water deeply every five to seven days depending on the weather.  (Very hot and dry more often, cooler or cloudy once a week)  If you keep it in a pot over the winter, drag the pot into an unheated shed or garage over the winter if you live in an area where the temps get below freezing.  Or you can plant it now where you want it to grow....these plants are pretty tough in the landscape.

If your soil is sandy or clay, amend with compost or composed manure dug into the soil 12 inches deep over an area that is about 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Japanese maples are not drought tolerant and their root systems are shallow, so they should be in a place where moisture is fairly consistant but not too wet.

all the best,
C.L.