japanese maple

[penbar]

I have just come back from vaccation to find my maple looking very dead.There are no leaves or buds only the branches.Is it dead or will it revive next year

[Thunderbird+]

Hi penbar, I guess while you was away, your maplr dried out too much, It may be possible to revive it depending how far gone it is.
Try using your thumb nail to gently scrape the bark away and if there is still some life left it should show up as green, if this is the case give it a thorough soaking then allow it to drain, cut back any obviously dead branches and keep an eye out for any fresh buds forming. Good Luck Tbird+