Karydas

Hope somebody will help me out. Today I discovered an Acer p. hidden behind a bunch of near-dead zelkovas in a very overheated nursery shed. I've never seen an Acer p. in my 12 years in this country (Greece) and really miss 'em so I cut a deal and brought it home. I hope I can save it. The tree is in bad health: lots of bare (but not dead) branches, many dead leaves, some new leaves, very few buds. I don't think it could survive a full repotting now. I'm thinking to keep it in the shade, cool as possible (it's already hitting 75F here, altho' nights are still cool) and to take off dead branch tips, dead leaves, and any branches I'd like to do away with. What I don't know is if I should (1) cut it back hard to encourage new budding, or if it's already too late for that, and (2) if I should fertilize now or wait to see if it'll recover somewhat with appropriate watering and fresh air. I have been told not to fertilize a weak tree, but I don't know how much of this tree's condition is related to poor watering and how much could be another problem. If I should feed it, what's the best ratio for its condition? The tree has good possibilities. The trunk is about 4.5 inches around at the base (I've no calipers) and it's too high (19 inches), but an air-layer off the top at some point could yield a nice little one and leave the main tree nicely balanced. It seems to have been well-cared for at some point; the trunk has a nice taper and the branches, altho' not much girth, are well placed. I'm looking forward to hearing suggestions from those more experienced than I. Thanks!

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