I'm also in the Toronto area. Lost 4 JMs out of 21 (Viridis, Ryusen, 2x Sharp's Pygmy). I have 4 Fireglows and they survived this brutal winter with minimal dieback. Their colour is outstanding!

If you want the most red year round, then Fireglow is the one you want. I think it's better than the Bloodgood. With all maple tree, it prefers morning sun and then afternoon shade. However, I have seen mature hardy trees being able to handle the afternoon sun. I have seen that it does much better when it's in the ground vs. pot.

Also, make sure that the trunk is shaded during the afternoon sun.

Another option you can do is keep the plant in the pot and plant it in the ground with the original pot for 1 year. If it survives in that spot, then remove the pot and plant it in the ground permanently.

The location, the type of soil, the watering, etc can contribute the death of your previous tree.

FYI, I'm not an expert... :)

This post was edited by May888 on Fri, May 30, 14 at 0:09

Red barked Japanese maples and their similarly colored relatives are overly prone to Pseudomonas, a bacterial infection that is typically present in force with wet springs, especially following cold winters. We see it commonly in the PNW, not necessarily because we have cold winters but our wet, mild springs are a major breeding ground.

Why red barked maples - Sango Kaku, Fjellheim, Beni Kawa, Japanese Sunrise, etc. - should be more susceptible than other JM's, I'm not sure but the increased incidence with these cultivars is marked. Go with whatever other JM you like.

In my climate, most red leaved maples can tolerate all day sun - Bloodgood or Fireglow should as well. Fireglow is considerably smaller in stature than Bloodgood and of a richer, less purply-wine red.