Hi All:

Need to be very clear about where I live and soil conditions. Also, choices were not mine but a landscaper, actually a guy that puts in landscapes but who didn't understand the culture of the soil and climate well. I didn't either when work was done.

That said, I live in the Mojave High Desert. Our weather can go low of 15 degrees though not sustained for days. Highs can go 112 - 115, also not sustained but 101 - 106 is more typical in long summer. Soil is red clay. Over 20 yrs, I have been able to loosen it up to some degree. This year am going to concentrate on compost tea frequently and fish fertilizer.

Issue I need help with: The fact that I have this Autumn Fantasy Maple in a large planter area which was also planted with numerous daylilies in 2002, currently the daylilies have thinned out, getting a soil probe into soil is near impossible either due to numerous roots which I know to be many and difficult to plant anything around but also wondering if daylilies are also suffering due to the numerous maple roots or am I dealing with hardened red clay soil that needs future amending.

This area is on automatic irrigation. I am sooo careful not to over water as the clay holds the moisture and lack of air in soil can do a plant in fast. The watering I feel is right. I have over the years used soil aeration products frequently, I have put down compost, always in light applications, then water. I use Kellogs 3 cu block of planter/mulch for clay soil as a mulch. So would it be best to move the daylilies from under this tree? This would leave a large unplanted area. It could be covered with a more permanent mulch or any ideas for what could live and spread. It does seem as if the tree roots are attempting to stay within shaded areas. There is a 3 - 4 foot border along the fence that gets sun and there are few roots at all.

As I said, I didn't understand the culture of our landscape back then. Now I'm much wiser but less educated on maples, except for Silver Maples which I love but know many consider them undesireable. It's all about location.

Would love some help on my Fantasy Maple issue and other ideas are always welcome. I won't take out the tree. It isn't all that big, maybe 14 ft. It is shaded some by a large Raywood Ash that I'm sure keeps the Maple from growing to its full potential but in the hot desert sun alone, that also may not have been so good. Anyway, I need advice.