JerseyMike said:

2 years ago i planted the October Glory but it's not growing at the rate i
had hpoed. i live in NJ and the soil is pretty much sandy below the first
several inches. it gets good watering

Could you be more specific about the "good watering"? For instance, you may
think that "good watering" would be watering several times a week. If the
tree's getting that much water, it doesn't have to search for it, therefore
the roots don't need to grow as agressively, and in turn, the tree grows
slower. Same with over-fertilizing. Something to keep in mind.

and had a nice size mulch area around
it and i will be increasing that size this spring.

Mulching past the tree's dripline [1] is a waste of mulch (and turf area).
Mulching up against the bark of the tree will bring you problems, down the
road (insects, fungus, etc.).

what kind of fertilizer is recommended for trees.

This spring, perhaps something higher in Potassium, if you really think the
tree is somehow, stunted. But from your description:

this young tree is about 12' tall, trunk is
about 3" wide.

It doesn't sound like the wrong dimensions, to me, for Acer rubrum. Have
you pruned it, to encourage spreading? A. rubrum spreads out quite readily,
but if conditions promote vertical growth (full sun, water, shorter growing
season, etc), it will grow taller and a bit thinner. You're also near the
northern fringes of it's hardiness zone, which may play into things. Have
you pruned it?

the tree gets full sun from 10am til dusk and i was told
this is ideal for this tree. i'd like to give it a good jump start int he
spring so any help is appreciated.


[1]. Likewise, not mulching all the way to the dripline is a waste of mulch
*and* time.

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