You all are so nice, I hope you don't mind if I ask another question reg. A. palmatums. My yard is on a south facing slope and I've noticed over the years that I simply can NOT grow a Japanese Maple on the higher part of the yard, but they do wonderfully on the lower part of the yard... I've tried it with various cultivars including: Higasayama, Beni Tsukasa and Murasaki Kiyohime.. and on newly planted trees (of decent size) I have always had a dead plant by spring. Sometimes death starts earlier in the fall, but by March the entire trunk is brown/black and there is NO live tissue when I scrape the bark. I've read about verticillium wilt, but I was under the impression that caused a slow demise, branch by branch.??? I have no other problems with diseases in these areas, just with japanese maples. What type of disease could kill a tree over winter??? On the other hand, the "upper" part of the yard is much sunnier in winter and more prone to "freeze-thaw" cycles. The soil is much rockier and drier. It is generally shaded in summer by a few large River Birch, but then its full sun in winter. Because of the low sun angle, the lower part of the yard usually stays shadier and frozen longer. the lower soil is generally loamier and more fertile. Im not replacing any more maples in this area. I had one newly planted Tsuma Gaki left that looked very healthy so I promptly moved it to lower ground this weekend. Do any of you have ideas what the problem could be? Too much winter exposure or disease??? And I was thinking if it is a disease such as verticillium have I saved my Tsuma Gaki by moving it before it can infect the roots or have I just spread the disease to another area. thanks so much... Sorry for rambling...