Zone 9 is at the penultimate southern range of the Japanese red
maple (it's actually TOO hot for them there -- especially in
pots), and pretty close to the red line on the American red
maple, though they (the American tree) do grow in Miami, which is
zone 10.

So, in an area like Houston, you can figure that it won't take
much to stress either species, and as someone said it is NOT
advisable to dig a stressed tree if there's any way to avoid it.
Over the winter in the south (and Houston qualifies ;-), it
should be cut back (in place) and watered copiously. A high P
and K fertilizer probably wouldn't hurt at this time of year,
either. Scatter some superphosphate and wood ash around the base
of the tree and water in well.

Jim Lewis - - Tallahassee, FL - The phrase
'sustainable growth' is an oxymoron. - Stephen Viederman

Huston is very hot during the summer now we are in october
and I do
not know if a maple there in Huston shoud react as if he
was in
Chicago...
Theo


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