Question
I have a Japanese Maple tree which is about 5 years old. The tree is in the front yard and get lots of water and sunshine. Last summer, I noticed that several branches of the tree had died - no leaves, and somewhat shrivelled, while the rest of the tree appeared to be fine. The affected branches seemed randomly selected, at least to my eye. I have since read on the internet about a fungal disease of Japanese maple trees that travels up the tree through the phloem, and can attack parts of the tree over time. My questions are: Will the tree continue to die? What is likely causing this damage to the tree? Can I prevent further damage/recusitate the tree?  

Answer
Mark,

Prune out the dead branches.  As far as determining if there is a disease agent at work you need to contact your local extension office.  They have the resources to send a sample to a plant pathologist who can do culture work and identify any problems.

Have a happy holidays

Gary