I frequently repot in January. Also maples. Trees do not die of the repotting done early, if you provide good aftercare. A singe night with low temperatures will not be thecause of a dead tree. My maples got up to -4 I think, after leafing out. I expect them to reflush.

More likely, you cut too muf off of the roots

Hello leatherback,

Yeah, my second thought was also, that i have cut too much off the roots - that can potentially kill the tree right? Since we are in may now and temperature is 10+ degrees every day, and the trees has no signs of bud swelling

-3 or -30 celsius? The latter could be a problem. If it havent started to bud at all it could be because of too cold during winter.

minus 3 degrees:)

This winter has not been that cold, so I dun think that it is the problem. beside that all the other larger Acers in my garden are in full leaf now.

My understanding is that the repot in marts was okay, but the heavy rootwork when no sign of budswelling might have drained the tree of too much energy, that might potentially have caused its demise:(

You guys know that temperature is not the biggest factor for deciduous trees to come back from dormancy right? It is actually the sun that gives the signal. Sure warm weather might speed up things a little sometimes, but trees know it is time to start pushing growth by knowing how long the sun has been out there for a day. Where I live, I have found the best time to re-pot is around April 5th, march might work but it is early. Where I live, buds start coming out around April 5-15,and right now trees are starting to push new growth (May 2). So it depends on where you live. Just look for when buds come out, and do it then. A little early shouldn't kill the tree, and even a lot early for deciduous trees should be fine. But optimal time is when buds just come out. Forsythia are also a great indicator, the flower very early because they put out the buds on the fall. So when you start seeing the first Forsythia flowers, it is time to repot.

eangola wrote: You guys know that temperature is not the biggest factor for deciduous trees to come back from dormancy right?

Not true. It can depend on light levels, temperature, amount of water, or a combination, depending on the species.

eangola wrote: It is actually the sun that gives the signal

Actually, it is the length of the night that is critical.

Auk wrote:

eangola wrote: You guys know that temperature is not the biggest factor for deciduous trees to come back from dormancy right?

Not true. It can depend on light levels, temperature, amount of water, or a combination, depending on the species.

Let me correct myself there, after re-reading an article I had in my bookmarks:
"It is believed by some researchers that cool temperatures are needed for the plant to enter true-dormancy."

Only some... so saying that what you said is not true, is not necessarily correct

However:
"Temperate woody plants once in true-dormancy require chilling to enter post-dormancy."

It is complicated. Hereś the link:
dendro.cnre.vt.edu/forestbiology/htmltext/chapter6.htm

It is a combination of things. Night length and dropping temperature signal the tree to start autumn routines. Once started, this can for temperate species not really be halted, only slowed, by warmer temperatures.
Once dormant it is the combo of time since going dormant (which stops mid winter growth during a warm.spell) and spring indicators such as temperature that trigger it. It certainly is not purely light druven. Else spring could never be early or late..

I`d say you killed it. sorry

I re-potted my maple in feb, then it got blown over in heavy winds and i had not anchored it. (stupid mistake.) I came out the next morning to find it 1 house down with alot of dirt missing. this was in early april so an important time.

Now 3 weeks latter it is still doing great. They are hard to kill in my experience my neighbor cut one down. It grew back from the stump, he cut again and still the next year it made a come back.

If you decide to give up on it. when you toss it take it out carefully and wash the roots if there are small white ones coming off you can see it did make an effort to live but was too drained.

if the roots are basically the same as you cut with no new ones showing then you can assume it might for any number of reasons have been already dead.
At least you will get an idea if it was you or not.

btw i have no idea if it makes a difference or not since i have never had a plant die from re-pot except pine ( I am good at killing pines)
But i use the bio gold Vital

I soak the roots after trim and rinse in the vital mix (as per instruction) while that happens i get the anchor wiring and bot layer of soil in the pot.

Fill and make sure you get the edges of pot so no air pockets under bonsai or around the pot (stops fungus or any other disease from growing on roots). then once potted use some water to water it then pour the soloution for extra watering.

I`m not a bonsai pro but thats what i do.