I tried "unsuccessfully" for 6 years to grow the cut leaf variety in pots on my back porch. Thrived every summer, and dead every spring. Will likely cave again to try it, but have resigned myself to calling it an annual in my life.

That sucks crazy4cows, I'm sorry :\

I think we decided to keep it where it is and just build a new bed around it (yay!) but now we've noticed that it's getting mauled by the gate it's next to. If I hadn't gone to one of the nurseries to see what a japanese maple of that size would cost to replace, I might consider the transplant again. However, I think that amount could possibly bail out the economy three-times over :P

Crazy4cows, did you just leave it in the pot all winter long on the porch? That's likely what did it in. Try planting it in the ground.