By Grubbit_36
United Kingdom 
LAST APRIL/MAY I BOUGHT AN ACER 'GARNET' ABOUT 3 WEEKS LATER THE LEAVES SRIVELED UP,BUT, DIDN'T FALL OFF FOR ABOUT 5/6 WEEKS,THEY DIDNT COME BACK AGAIN LAST YEAR.HOWEVER THIS YEAR THE LEAF BUDS ARRIVED,BUT NO LEAVES.THE SOIL USED IS ERICATIOUS,WATERED WITH RAIN WATER ONLY,NOT IN WINDY POSITOIN,AND ARE IN A SHADY/LIGHT SUN POSITION,IN A GOOD SIZE TUB.ANY IDEAS PLEASE?P.S THE UNDERSIDE OF BRANCHES ARE GREEN.TOPS ARE LIGHT BROWN.
15 May, 2012
Answers
this is rather odd. If you say the leaves shrivelled and fell off last year after about 6 weeks, that takes us up to mid/end of June. I would have expected some sort of growth to appear last year if the plant were still alive, but clearly it didn't.
If the plant was still alive and you could see swelling buds where leaves were going to break out, but they aborted, either they've decided not to bother because its too cold and the plant thinks its autumn, or the leaf buds were present from last year and weren't actually viable or live.
Any chance of a photograph of the plant?
16 May, 2012
Well it certainly sounds like wind burn, did you keep it well watered after you planted it last year and make sure the roots were not in a tight ball? If the tree got very dry before you bought it it may simply have become over stressed when trees do this they lose their leaves to save on moisture evaporation.
16 May, 2012