Question: My Japanese maples turn drab and lose lots of their red color, and their leaves are browned around the edges by mid-summer every year. What is wrong?

Answer: It sounds like they’re getting too much sunlight or that you’ve let them get too dry. Japanese maples need sun no later than mid-morning during the summer, and bright shade after that. The reddish-purple color of new spring growth fades to reddish-green by the first hot days of the summer. Keep them moist and well mulched.