Hi Chris. First of all, you may be in a zone that's a bit too warm for Japanese Maple to survive year round. They are deciduous (lose their leaves in fall and need a dormant, cool period in which to rejuvenate the roots).

However, there are several bonsai nurseries that sell and ship seedlings quite reasonably, as well as the ones sold on ebay.

The very best advice I can give you, being the owner of one of the most beautiful Japanese Maples I've ever seen, is to make sure you keep it in the shade and water it every day.

If you are indeed starting with a seedling or cutting, keep it in moist rich soil until it develops for a few years, growing branches and a nicely tapered trunk before you halt it's growth by putting it into a bonsai soil mix.

Bonsai soil mixes are designed to control the growth rate of the tree and keep the leaf size small by only allowing the tree to be "fed" by means of applying a controlled fertilizer.

Have you visited any of your local bonsai clubs or looked at any info online?

Regards,
Elizabeth Ritt

I've had a maple for 6 or 8 years and I bury it in the ground every winter ( I wrap the pot in landscape fabric,dig a whole deep enought for the pot to fit into it and I water it in )come spring I dig it up when I see it leafing out just like the other trees.I have once or twice dug it up to soon and had to bring it in for a few days.....sherry

Jap. maple will grow in warm climates just put them in the shade on hot summer days like on the north side of a large tree never let them dry out