Where a Japanese maple actually wants to live

Most maples that fail are killed by the spot, not the winter. The leaves scorch at the edges in a hot afternoon, and a drying wind does the same in half the time. Morning sun and afternoon shade is the whole answer in most gardens.

Before it goes in the ground, tip it out of the pot and look. Roots circling the bottom need teasing out or they will keep circling for years. Plant it no deeper than it sat in the pot -- the flare at the base of the trunk should show.