Maples are deciduous trees from temperate climates, and apart from the Trident Maple (Acer buergerianum), all other Momijis (Acer palmatum) and cultivars suffer a lot in hot summers and tropical weather. Some more than the others, and Deshojo (the red cultivar) is one of the worst.
Apart from the sun-scorched leaves, they are very prone to fungi, so one can't leave the plant humid for too long, which is a big problem: It needs plenty of water to do all the transpiration needed in the summer but their leaves can't be wet overnight.
So, contrary to common sense and advice - "Don't try to grow them, they will die" - I did buy a young Deshojo last winter, BUT...
I did NOT spray them with fungicides or diluted Lime sulfur in the winter as everyone seems to do, and I did NOT fertilize it, repotted it, or fiddled with it at all.
I did NOT change soil from the nursery mix to "bonsai soil" yet, as the drainage seemed OK when I purchased it.
I just put it in dappled sun (outdoors, of course: rain, wind, shadow, sun), didn't move it at all, and watered it plenty.
Results after six months: Healthy happy little tree, doing what it is supposed to do: growing, thickening, and shooting new leaves during the growing season.
So as anyone knows very well by now, TLC kills plants more than respecting their timing and resources.
My advice to beginners?
Live it alone if it seems happy and needs growing.
