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Hi we got the trees in September and repotted them and put them outside. I live in the UK so the trees experienced the full bitter winter but i covered them (mostly the base) with a fleece jacket. They have little buds and i did cut away at the stem slightly to see if they're dead but i was wondering if there's any advice for them seeing as spring is coming. I hope they can be saved if they are dying. I moved them indoors a month ago as it's been very cold recently and I hoped that would help them grow leaves again as they had leaves when i bought them.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks! Before and after pics

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Frankie A
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    Just a side note re. your “they had leaves when we bought them”: You do realize that acers are deciduous trees that will always drop their leaves in fall, right? – Stephie Apr 15 '21 at 16:56

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Japanese maples are quite frost tolerant (down to -20C which is much colder than last winter in the UK).

Every change of environment puts more stress on the plant. The best way to "save" plants like this is to stop fussing over them and moving them around. Just leave them in one place (preferably outside) and let them do what they do.

If you have already killed them by too much fussing over them, there's no way you can reverse that!

alephzero
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  • Back again! It's July and they went back outside in May. They look exactly the same though no changes. Would you say they're dead or will I have to leave them alone and wait until next year for them to bud? – Frankie A Jul 11 '21 at 10:15
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They are likely not dead....As they've been indoors for a while, you will need to harden them off for a week or so before moving them back outside. You can start hardening them now by leaving outside for increasing periods during the day, bringing them back in every evening, until a week or so has passed,when you can leave them out all night - preferably not a night when there's a hard frost. After that, leave them outdoors all the time, preferably in a sheltered spot that isn't windy and that gives partial or dappled shade.

Bamboo
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  • Ok will harden them before putting them back outside. Do you know when we could expect new leaves to grow? – Frankie A Apr 15 '21 at 16:23
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    When the other acers outdoors start leafing out - keep an eye on your neighborhood gardens and parks. – Stephie Apr 15 '21 at 16:54